The Freedom Ride (the 18¢ sequel)

As I walked out of that office in Virginia on my last day my legs felt like jello, I kept hearing Bill Cosby's voice in my head for some reason.  Though everyone was sad to see me go, silently I sensed their relief at my departure.  Relieved that I, the energetic, strategic planning, always good idea having senior consultant would no longer be their competition.  As I headed down that long hallway for the last time, part of me wanted to run back, while the rest of me was excited about all the future possibilities.  Whatever those were.

As I saw that North Star appear out of the horizon, pointing me to freedom, I felt a tune welling up inside me, "oh freedom, oh freedom...oh freedom over me."  There it was in all its glory the Ballston, Virgina Metro stop, with that big "M" on the outside of the elevator.  The orange line would carry me to freedom.  I pressed that elevator button and the voice said "going down",  I thought, uh-oh hopefully that's not literal.  I spent the next hour underground, no light and suffering from severe motion sickness.  This was certainly not the freedom ride I'd envisioned. Finally I hopped off and transferd at the Metro Center to the Red line, well surely, I'd be home free now. Until the very thing that I'd always been afraid of happening-happened.  A very muffled, low-talking operator came over the intercom and rattled off something like the following, "Due to a mysterious package left (unintelligible) on the platform ahead the train will disembark at the Takoma Park Station, again we apologize (unintelligible) delay."  Or something like that.  Great I thought, one stop away from my destination, this freedom ride was turning into a freedom walk.

After finally making it to the Silver Spring Metro Station, I hobbled to my car and began to weep, not cry but weep.  I suppose I was in mourning over leaving my old, very comfortable life to one that was unstable and filled with unexpected twists and turns.  This was in fact my "one last cry" and boy was it a good one.  After sitting in my car for what seemed like an hour, I felt a sense of peace that made me think that this was the right choice and I moved forward and haven't looked back since.  The following Monday I went to Mexico and conceived Kennedy Consulting.  "Si Se Puede"!





Small Business Spotlight of the week is Urban Junction East (John Stoddart).