My boss and I took our seats at the booth of the International House of Pancakes and exchanged pleasantries. It’s a strange place to sit down for a serious conversation, surrounded by an array of syrup selections with The Isley Brothers playing in the background. I pretended to be comfortable, fiddling with the paper band around my dining utensils.

“You look casual today,” she said, noting my shorts and monochromatic long sleeve t-shirt. My boss doesn’t work in my office building, so often her comments expose the fact that she has little knowledge of what’s going on. I dress this way more often than not. While her ignorance plays to my lifestyle advantage, the reminder that she has no idea how productive I am irks me.

The waiter takes our order and moves along, cueing the beginning of us getting down to business.

“I think you know why we’re having this meeting,” she said.

Yes, I thought. I scheduled it. Two weeks ago, I looked around my office and it struck me how bad things had gotten. Finances were in the gutter, morale was low, and daily priorities had shifted to sales (or our industry’s equivalent) in an attempt to save our organization from collapse. I saw my coworkers’ heightened anxiety about feeding their children. And then there was me, consumed completely with my creative projects. Writing the Hobo book. Drafting a screenplay. Producing a documentary. It didn’t seem right that I should be so blissfully unaffected by this downward spiral while others feared losing their jobs. So I scheduled a meeting with my boss, intending to suggest that in the event of a layoff, I be the first to go.

As it turned out, I never got the chance to make the offer.

Without letting me butt in, my boss went on to explain why I was being let go. “It isn’t your performance,” she said, citing numerous achievements of mine throughout my 3 or 4 years of service with the company. She cited specific financial marks the organization was required to hit before June, and the discussions held for how to mitigate the problems without trimming staff. I began to feel bad for her. This organization was her conception and it was tanking after decades of success. I nodded along nimbly, collected in my acceptance of her terms, while she grew misty-eyed and hesitated with her words.

It’s rare for the employee to be the consoling the person who’s firing him, but that’s pretty much how the rest of the meeting went. I explained my intention for calling the meeting and reassured her that I was the best choice, personally speaking, to get the first axe. She seemed sincerely grateful for my attitude, and made every possible concession for my departure. We decided I’d stay on until the end of the month, keeping flexible hours to allow for my transition into unemployment. I would receiving a glowing recommendation for whatever gig might come next. And, I got to keep my brand new laptop.

For getting fired at an IHOP, it was a raging success.

So what now for The Office Hobo?

When I walked into the office the evening after receiving the news, a rush of sadness overtook me. Every object there represented a critical piece of what made this place home over the past 470 or so days. The latest stack of boxes strategically placed to block the view from the front window. The seat cushions that had embraced my slumbering body for so many months. The artwork on the walls I had worked hard to secure and install. All of these objects made up what I grew to appreciate as my home. Now it’s time to move on to the next chapter.

Many people dream of being able to change the direction of their lives and pursue something they’ve always wanted. I’ve seen friends do this to varying levels of success, chasing dreams of becoming comedians or teachers or recording artists or woodworkers. This means embracing risk and giving all focus and effort into a pursuit. This is part of my next chapter. Seeing if I can turn my love of creating into something that can sustain the simple lifestyle I desire.

So the story continues. I plan to keep up with my writings, both in real-time on this site and completing the book. Embracing home-free living only gains momentum, and I will explore the ups and downs of my experiences with that on this site. Those stories will just take place (or will they!?!) outside of the workplace. The Office Hobo is going mobile.

I hope you’ll continue the journey with me.

– T.O.H.