Donna Cameli, Neighbor

After a ten year career in the banking industry, my husband and I made the choice for me to stay home and raise our family.  I say “we” because parenting is an adjustment for both parents as sacrifice is part of the role. Though it was a major adjustment,  I would not have done it any other way.  When my second child was seven, “downsizing” became a part of every family’s daily vocabulary and so I decided it was time for me to get back to work.  I became part of the crew that opened the Borders Books in Orland Park and stayed for seven years.  For me, a self proclaimed bookworm, it was one of the best jobs that I ever held.  I worked with a really diverse group of people and saw first hand what worked when managing people and what didn’t.  The biggest negative of the job was that I continually saw my paycheck dwindle as my book purchases grew.  As vices go, this one was not such a bad one to have.  My work at Borders connected me with the current Executive Director of the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce and I became her Office Manager.  I have held this job for seven years, also.  The Chamber has allowed me to dabble in my one true passion:  writing.  My job requires me to write the press releases and I am editor of the organization’s monthly newsletter.  I always considered a career in journalism, but chose instead the practical route and earned a BS in marketing with an AAS in Business Administration and Marketing.  Now, my two children are grown and starting lives of their own, so I decided it was time for me to do what I always encourage them to do:  pursue your dream and believe in yourself.  Sometimes the hardest thing for a parent to do is to take their own advice, but I’m sure going to give it a shot. 

So, here I am.  I don’t know where this will take me, but there are no guarantees in life and I want to go down swinging.  As any artist knows, sharing your work opens you up to criticism as well as praise.  But if you don’t take the chance, you never know the outcome. My goal with this blog is to share my observations while navigating the new world of mid-life. A little humor can go along way and I hope to add a smile to everyone’s day sharing this phase of my life with a laugh.