The stint with the first Tampa Bay area daily newspaper ended yesterday. I was touched -- my co-workers seemed genuinely sad to see me go.
I was sad to go too, I realized, though not because my seven months on the job had been perfect. Indeed, because those months were often bumpy -- with family tragedies bumping into a hectic life here -- my co-workers became symbols of stability. They also taught me about copy editing, about journalism, and about keeping one's self together in the face of stress.
I will miss them.