I knew this date was coming, but as of November 22, TNP has vacated our office in Philadelphia. It was inevitable, really, because we never went back to the office (I’d have been fine with a 3/2 split) and rent was too high to justify a once-a-month meeting. It makes financial sense.
But I loved going to work. Our office suite in the 1500 Spring Garden building was seriously the nicest place I’ve ever worked and I had a spacious cubicle with more room than what I have now at home.
I remember when I started there in 2012. The office floored me and I felt like I went from working in a leaky toolshed to a corporate paradise. There was no molding ceiling tile crumbling onto my desk below it. We had a Keurig with FREE coffee, as opposed to the drip coffee at the C-P which was brewed at 7:30am and cost 75 cents a cup. The office was clean and well maintained. There was a full service cafeteria for breakfast and lunch. What I missed the most was an outside place to sit and each lunch. But now that I am home with an outside place to sit and eat lunch I miss the variety of food that I once had.
No more City Girl in the City. No more Fancy Coffee Fridays. No more gliding over the Delaware River on the PATCO train. No more listening to the chirping birds who nested in the Brooks Brothers sign on Walnut Street as I waited for the shuttle. No more visiting the terrible Spring Garden Dunkin’ Donuts. No more walks to the library or the art museum or the Christmas Market. And if the physical address ends up being out of Philadelphia, no more Philly library card. And sure I suppose I could go there for kicks, but honestly I have no reason to ever visit that neighborhood again.
I’m sad all over again that a huge portion of my life which I truly enjoyed was taken from me without my consent thanks to the fucking pandemic*. Now I truly feel like a homebound hermit. Some days I see exactly two other human beings. But hey, I can identify some birdcalls now. Yay? (typed as a Carolina wren chirps outside)
Last Tuesday was my last day there. I’m just marching forward day by day hoping the the more distance I put between myself and last Tuesday the better chance I have of outrunning my feelings. Which is inherently unhealthy but I’m 100% certain that everybody who knows me in real life is exhausted from hearing me complain about it.
*I know, I know. I’m alive. My loved ones are alive. I should be thankful for that and that alone.
