Dear Readers,
After 13 years, this is farewell …. for now.
It’s been an honor, a privilege, a thrill and sometimes a pain to write a weekly HR column for The Gainesville Sun, a newspaper I love in a community I’ve called home since the 80’s.
Contrary to what some readers who don’t know me might imagine, this is not a syndicated column originating elsewhere, this was a locally grown Gainesville product. If you’re reading this in a different USA Today newspaper, I am glad you are here, hope you’ve enjoyed reading.
Why now?
Like for countless others on the planet, this pandemic really drove home that our time here is limited, and life is precious. When re-assessing what I’d like to do with what remains on my clock, writing a 14th year of the HR column didn’t make the list. I still love to write, and I have lots of opinions and perspectives to share, but feel like I’ve said all I can about HR.
Also, this is column number 700, yes, I numbered them. 700 seems like an auspicious number.
And speaking of numbers, I have a milestone birthday around the corner, the one where you’re undeniably “of a certain age”. All these seem to point to a perfect start of my third act. Who knows, maybe next year I’ll pitch a new column on that topic.
Here come the thank you’s.
Thank you to Jim Osteen, former executive editor at the Sun who gave this non-writer a chance at a column in his paper, and whose early death last year contributed to my renewed appreciation of the preciousness of time.
Then, there were two people behind the scenes who always read my copy before I clicked “send” to the newspaper, and to whom I am indebted: First, my fellow HR Pro, life-long friend and informal editor, LZH, who constructively and sometimes painfully checked my blind spots and let me know when a re-write was in order. The second is my awesome no-nonsense husband, my rock, whom you can thank for keeping my columns free of hocus pocus HR jargon. He served as a barometer representing you, the typical reader.
Then there’s you, reading this. Thank you for considering what I offered each week. I can’t tell you how rewarding it’s been through all these years to have your support and encouragement –from both friends and strangers. I hope I broadened your outlook, encouraged you to act, inspired you to look at something in a different way.
I would love to hear from you, my email remains unchanged (eva@evadelrio.com), feel free to drop me a line. Especially if you’re maneuvering your “third act.”
Remember, you can find all my columns at my website evadelrio.com. You can search for past favorites or explore new topics. All the best to you. Farewell… for now.
©Copyright Eva Del Rio.
