Free Time - Handling Job Elimination

I'm just now getting into a mindset to sit down and write today. It's been a long and emotional day, even if I only spent about two hours at the office.

Today, I was released from my job, as my position has been eliminated.

This is not a new experience for me. I was part of the "Blizzard 600," as some of us called it, so I'm simply grateful for the opportunity to expand my creativity and pursue greater horizons without having to make the difficult choice - leaving my job.

I have no plans to leave the gaming industry. Right now, I have the wondrous opportunity to apply to the jobs I want rather than immediately need, and I can look into pursuing independent ventures as well. The chance to weight the two against each other without willingly taking the dive on my own is really a blessing in disguise.

In the mean time, I know I'm not the only one out there who's lost their job, losing their job, or going to lose their job. Change is prevalent, and in the ever-volatile gaming industry, unfortunately it's quite frequent. This is my second experience, so I thought I'd share the mental and organizational process I go through when these things happen.

Feelan Thehealin - To Those We've Lost

Cross-Posted from Gathering Gamers.

There are some things in the world that when I see them happening, I find myself crying out of the joy from knowing there are good, amazing people in the world.

On Sunday evening, as I was browsing the WoW Suggestion forums, I stumbled upon a very interesting thread. A very old guild called lost an incredibly powerful, kind, and good-hearted individual named Feelan back in December. I didn't know Feelan. I don't even know the guild, or play on their server. But the passionate and loving way the guild spoke out about their fallen comrade was so genuine I couldn't help but be touched.

Feelan died of a very rare cancer of the heart, so rare it gets little funding and there's not a lot of knowledge about it out there. He had been fighting it for years, and even so, did nothing more but bring smiles and laughter to his guild mates. That's an amazing individual, and the world is a slightly bleaker place without his presences. In the same right, the world is a better place for having had Feelan among us, whether or not we knew he was there.

I'd like everyone who sees this that has a World of Warcraft account to go to this thread and support his memory. You don't have to say anything more than /sign. Do this not just for Feelan or his guild mates, but for that loved one that *you* have lost, or for that guild mate who disappeared and you'll never know what happened to them.

What this is about is supporting in-game memorials. My personal suggestion is to have an instanced graveyard or memoriam. And hey, why not have Feelan standing there to greet those who come and thank them for taking the time to visit. Allow guilds to purchase lots for their lost companions. And make it just enough of a pain in the ass that it will keep the jerks from abusing it for stupid inappropriate commentary, but just easy enough for a guild to work together to complete it.

I know it's a lot to ask. But it would be a beautiful gesture on Blizzard's part, and with 9 million players, there are bound to be a lot of them who would appreciate this. I, for one, hope they hear us out.