Rejection

The rejection letter I knew was coming finally arrived today. I ripped it open over the recycling bin, eager to continue repressing memories of my humiliating job interview of a few weeks ago.

I was rejected all right. No surprise there. But I had to read the letter all the way through, because it contained none of the boilerplate language of the rejection genre. Instead, it was eloquent, generous, and warm. What's more, two of the hiring committee offered to meet to talk about my "journey in progress." They also offered some closing words of encouragement that I would record here, were they not so personalized and lacking in cliché.

So I slowly folded the letter in half... and tucked it into the wire basket on my desk. Now I have to figure out if and how I will make a reply. In the meantime, though, that letter feels like a salve on sunburnt skin.