Moving — it’s one of those life events often faced with equal measure of fear/loathing and hope/inspiration.
The matter is top of mind for those of us at the Richmond News, as last Friday was moving day. That’s right, we pulled out of what’s been our digs for the past 30 odd years and set up shop a couple of blocks away.
(We were on the west side of No. 3 Road, just south of Lansdowne Road. We’re now on the second floor at 8211 Ackroyd,directly above Tokyo Joe’s and Fresh Slice pizza.)
So, right off there’s a problem.
I like pizza and love sushi. It will be no mean task to avoid spending half my pay cheque down there.
Apart from that, this is a bright, recently renovated space that well suits our needs.
That said, it was sad to bid farewell to our slightly musty 9-5 home of many years.
I recall the first day, a decade ago now, that I stepped through those front doors, resumé in hand, to talk to then-editor, Dean Broughton. In a fine example of timing’s everything, he was soon getting married and heading off on a two-week honeymoon, but had yet to find someone to fill in while he was away.
Last Friday, as I was cleaning out one of the filing cabinets, I found that very same resumé. Interesting to see how the 40-something Eve pitched herself to a prospective employer. As I went through it, the thoughtful feature we had run in Oct. 23’s paper by Nadine Jones, regarding the challenges of moving into a care home, came to mind.
I certainly don’t mean to equate moving from an office of 10 years with moving from a home of 30, but there were some parallels.
I’m as much a believer in decluttering and voluntary simplicity as the next bandwagon jumper. (Of course, walking the talk is another matter — as that old resumé will attest.)
But there is poignancy in shedding old skin. Nadine described it as giving pieces of herself away with every drop-off at Value Village.
(By the way, we had a great response to Nadine’s piece. She and I will be talking soon about her writing a regular column.)
I was also touched by her idea that her “home base,” the nerve centre from where she made all her decisions, was temporarily lost in the transition.
For me, however, the new space has been energizing. Tossing decades worth of files was like doffing a winter coat on a spring day. The fact I can actually see daylight now may also be brightening my outlook.
I get we need to honour history and acknowledge our past, but we don’t need out-dated resumés; it can be a tricky balance.
So here we are, moving into the next phase of our constant evolution as a community paper — firmly rooted in the heart of Richmond with a view to a bright and expansive future.
