Skywriting

Ten years ago this month I embarked on a major life change. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University, a summer of experience at The Indianapolis Star and a serious sense of adventure, I packed up and moved to San Angelo, Texas. I worked as a reporter for the local newspaper and still count it as one of the best experiences of my life.

I find myself faced with a similar opportunity and can’t help but think, “That was then. This is now.”

I went to a job interview a couple of weeks ago in Fort Worth. I have the opportunity to be the editor of a new business publication in Denton County. It would be a sister publication of the Fort Worth Business Press. Long story short, the interview went well but I still felt conflicted and had a lingering question for the publisher about the kind of business publication they want to create. A follow-up e-mail seemed to confirm his commitment to a true business-to-business publication.

At this point, I’m about 90 percent ready to take it. I think that lingering 10 percent is fear. Fear outweighing any youthful sense of adventure. Oh, how the times have changed. Sure, 10 years ago I was afraid to move from Ohio to Texas. My grandparents helped me move and I’ll never forget that early Sunday morning when they pulled away from my apartment. I was struck by the thought that there went the only people in the city I knew and what if I had made a huge mistake moving here.

It wasn’t a mistake at all. And my sense of adventure took me on a wonderful ride. But I’m well past 22 years old when I could move across the country and had nothing to lose. I didn’t have a house to sell, a child, a husband. At that point, I didn’t even have a career. Life was fresh, new and full of potential.

I have lived in Charleston for eight years and have a comfortable life here. We have a nice home in a great location. We have good friends, a nice church and I have a good job. Why rock the boat?

Maybe for something even better.

This job sort of fell into my lap. And last week we found out that Clint’s company would like for him to stay on and just work from home in Fort Worth. How easy is that?

My friend Ronda and I always talk about how we wish God communicated in skywriting. Ronda says the way all this has fallen into place is skywriting. It could be I’ve been so wrapped up in the “what ifs” and “what might go wrong” that I haven’t looked up to see God’s skywriting.

I can’t help but think this is an awesome opportunity for me. I have the chance to build an entire business newspaper from scratch. Scary? Of course. An adventure? No doubt.

Could it be I’ve spent the last decade preparing for just this opportunity and now I’m going full circle back to the Lone Star state? The skywriting seems to say, “Yes.”