It’s a joke I’ve made for years, wanting to move on from my job at Jeopardy! in order to focus more on my own projects. Well, it’s finally come to pass. Basically, my specific position was eliminated for budgetary reasons. But, since it came at a time when, at long last seriously, I’d been trying to figure out how to manage a change in employment, it has worked out really well.
Jeopardy! has been a great place for me all these years. It was my first job in Show Business, and I never expected it to last 18 years! But for a writer who wasn’t making the income from writing, it’s been a terrific job. I was a researcher, which meant my job was to verify factoids in clues, to make sure the clues are accurate. Jeopardy! double sources facts, so it was always stimulating. In these years, I’ve looked a more things than would ever have occured to me on my own — and I have pretty broad interests! I’ve talked with the expert on Komodo Dragons, and toured the Nevada nuclear test grounds – things that came to me directly (the Komodo Dragons) or indirectly (connections made through calling experts for nuclear test info) because of the job.
I remember when I interviewed for the job, at one point I called myself an “infojunkie”. And that remains true. As a writer, my research skills have been honed and polished by the years on the show. And as a writer, because of the broad range of things the show covers, I now have a nodding acquaintence with all sorts of arenas and types of knowledge that would not have occured to me.
In short, it’s been good.
So, saying goodbye has been filled with bits of sadness, in spite of the excitement of the new prospects. On Wednesday, the staff gave me a good-bye lunch, and I was touched by the expressions of good-will from my co-workers. They are a great bunch of people to work with. And it has been a delight where being a geek about something is actually appreciated! I wish them all the best, especially for the coming season, when the show celebrates its 25th Anniversary of it’s syndicated run.
I stupidly forgot to get out my camera for the luncheon, so I didn’t snag pictures of all those friendly faces. But I did take a picture of the lovely cut flowers they gave me, when I got the flowers home.
I do have to make note of one special person, who made every day lovely with her greeting. Luci Sweron serves the office as our receptionist, but she does far more than that. She tracks everyone’s presence, she keeps track of supply orders, she plays den mother and jokes with the staff. To call her an office manager would make it sound far to stiff and formal for how she conducts matters. I enjoyed stopping to chat with her when I came in each morning, and I will miss her. She very sweetly took me to lunch on Tuesday, and we had a lovely chat at a sidewalk cafe near the studio.
Her smile and her laugh are a joy.
So, I’ve now wrapped up one era of my life and am moving on to new adventures. But I felt I needed to proclaim my appreciation of my Jeopardy! colleagues. They work hard to keep the show lively and up-to-date, so they deserve the notice.
