Thursday, September 29, 2005
And next in line of things-I-wrote-awhile-ago-but-haven't-posted ... :)
My friend Seth says that you know you're becoming a part of a place "when you can go to annual events for a second time." If that's the case, then I suppose I'm finally -- finally! -- becoming "part" of Alexandria, Virginia.
Tonight is the company's annual summer trip to a minor-league baseball game. Last year we saw the Potomac Cannons play the Somebodies (for all the fun that we had, I can't remember who "our" team played!). This year we're watching the newly acquired Potomac Nationals play the Winston-Salem Warthogs. And I'm planning on having a great time.
What a difference a year makes. I recognize it's not a year on the nose, but it's close enough for me. At last year's baseball game, Mike and I sat on the bus talking to people and indeed feeling welcome, but not knowing people's personalities, quirks, personal stories. There was no history between us, and that's so important in cultivating relationships. Now, while there's still not the lengthy history I've cultivated at, say, my old newsroom, or in my other personal longtime relationships, there IS a history nonetheless, and that makes all the difference.
I feel much closer to these people -- my colleagues, my friends -- than I did a year ago, and I suppose that's typical -- but it surely did not feel that way this time last year. Back then, I felt like I'd ALWAYS be the new girl, the new kid in school, struggling to make friends, to keep up, to understand all the inside jokes and stories. I still don't know them all -- again, we come back to the history issue -- but I've also added my own, weaving my own history into the cultural fabric that is so important to this company.
So tonight, I suppose I'm embarking on a new chapter of my Alexandria life. It's fitting that it's happening at a baseball game, as baseball is a sport that I do so love. And now I'll shoot for a third visit to this annual event. I can only hope that next year's baseball game will be as meaningful as this one.
:)
My friend Seth says that you know you're becoming a part of a place "when you can go to annual events for a second time." If that's the case, then I suppose I'm finally -- finally! -- becoming "part" of Alexandria, Virginia.
Tonight is the company's annual summer trip to a minor-league baseball game. Last year we saw the Potomac Cannons play the Somebodies (for all the fun that we had, I can't remember who "our" team played!). This year we're watching the newly acquired Potomac Nationals play the Winston-Salem Warthogs. And I'm planning on having a great time.
What a difference a year makes. I recognize it's not a year on the nose, but it's close enough for me. At last year's baseball game, Mike and I sat on the bus talking to people and indeed feeling welcome, but not knowing people's personalities, quirks, personal stories. There was no history between us, and that's so important in cultivating relationships. Now, while there's still not the lengthy history I've cultivated at, say, my old newsroom, or in my other personal longtime relationships, there IS a history nonetheless, and that makes all the difference.
I feel much closer to these people -- my colleagues, my friends -- than I did a year ago, and I suppose that's typical -- but it surely did not feel that way this time last year. Back then, I felt like I'd ALWAYS be the new girl, the new kid in school, struggling to make friends, to keep up, to understand all the inside jokes and stories. I still don't know them all -- again, we come back to the history issue -- but I've also added my own, weaving my own history into the cultural fabric that is so important to this company.
So tonight, I suppose I'm embarking on a new chapter of my Alexandria life. It's fitting that it's happening at a baseball game, as baseball is a sport that I do so love. And now I'll shoot for a third visit to this annual event. I can only hope that next year's baseball game will be as meaningful as this one.
:)
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