Last month saw some major life changes, and some serious ups and downs. On one hand, my partner and I closed on and moved into a lovely 2-flat building with our close friends. Buying a home never felt like a possibility, but with the news that the apartment building we were collectively living in was being sold (which had happened in the previous building all of us lived in), we recognized there would be more stability in owning. Through the guidance of some very helpful professionals, we found our new home. It feels good to know we can put down some roots, continue to be neighbors with our pals, and it’s exciting to have the chance to get to know a new (to us) neighborhood. This opportunity still feels unreal, and I’m so thankful for it.
On the other hand, less than a week after our closing, I was informed that I would be furloughed from January until at least March, along with over 100 staff at the museum. The governor’s order to close all museums back in November was the justification used for this measure, along with several layoffs and pay cuts non-furloughed staff were forced to take. After 4 weeks of being furloughed, around 40 of us have been told that we will be furloughed until at least April, even though the museum has been given the green light to open. I am frustrated and sad for those departments that have been particularly hard hit - our education team, and the library and archives - given how committed these teams are to their work, their colleagues, and the communities they support. I’m also concerned about non-furloughed staff and the likelihood that they are taking on more work given their coworkers’ absences. Unsurprisingly, this is compounding on an already difficult time for so many, and one that’ll leave its mark for some time to come.
I suppose the closing lessons of 2020 and opening lessons of 2021 are those of the unpredictability of life and the need to find grounding regardless of what’s happening in the outside world. I still struggle to accept and embrace these realities, but it would seem I’ll have many more opportunities to practice and grow.