According to the Kübler-Ross model, there are five stages of grief, which may sound melodramatic, but Digit is a pretty special place. A place I’ll be sad to leave. It will always hold a special place in my heart because (shhh!) it was my first job, but to be honest it’s been my first three jobs, since my roles, the place, the people -myself included- have changed so much over the years. But change is good.

Firstly I entered quite a lengthy denial process. Unable to face the facts, that it may be quite a while until I’m back in the ‘external social network’ aka The Golden Heart or able to nip out for lunch at Leon, you know when you’ve got a craving for leaves ‘n’ twigs with brown rice and ’slaw. But none of this dawned on me until, well, just now.

But soon enough the vultures started circling around my desk, and just like that I entered the anger phase. Knowing who is picking off your wares while you’re still in the building is not the nicest experience: scanner, 2 HP monitors, chair and my very desk. All of them with dibs on them. Anger is very unattractive, sorry about that.

Moving swiftly on to bargaining I realise I’m offering up advent calendar chocolates to curry favour and not be forgotten too quickly, I know that very soon, I will move into the hallowed territory of ‘ex-Digit’ in people’s messenger contacts. Although to be part of the Digit alumni is actually a very good thing, and the Digit family is extended, talented and welcoming. It also helps that I’ve been attending the ‘Ex-Digit’ socials for the past two years, so I’m prepared for the transition.

That’s when the depression set in. My colleagues, past and present at some invisible juncture became friends, great friends, gig buddies, drinking buddies, gym buddies, New Year’s eve party goers, cohorts and superb flatmates. Friends who make coming in to work a pleasure, a genuine pleasure. No more crazy pitch fever, no more Tashi dashing around the office growling at the coffee grinder, no more temperamental lift, no more beautiful London skylines, impossibly cold winters wrapped in all the clothes you can find and any novelty hats lying nearby, no more debauched nights out, office weekends away (we don’t talk about that, right?), no more shared hangovers, no more Sharlin calling me ‘Meesh, no not you Meesh, the other Meesh’, no more trekking in like a trooper on ‘snow day‘ with the dedicated few, no more Friday night drinks or Monday morning gossips, no more.

So here we are at acceptance, I feel genuinely privileged to have worked at Digit for three and a half years. I’m grateful to Henry for having a banterful conversation with me when we first met and ultimately offering me an internship and opening up the charming and beautifully eccentric world of Digit to me. Thank you to everyone I’ve worked with and learned from, in a workplace where a green illustration graduate can start as a design intern and leave as a copywriter, with great experience and passion to go on to achieve, well, we’ll leave this part open…

It’s not goodbye Digit, it’s see you around.

Posted on Friday, December 18th, 2009 under Stream.
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