Almost ten years ago I found myself freshly unemployed and, due to a new baby and Alex’s health, unable to leave the house for any extended length of time. I had a computer, the right software and a few years of professional design work under my belt, so I put out feelers in the horror, Halloween and, especially, the haunted attraction industries via email, message boards, whatever I could think of.

One of the emails I sent was to a company (that I won’t name here) that, at the time, was pretty much the only one specializing in graphic/web design specifically for dark attractions. I inquired as to whether or not they might be hiring or, at the very least, sub-contracting a freelancer. I never received a response. Today Sinister Visions is one of their competitors.

I just received an email from somebody who’s effectively in the exact position I was in then and found myself about to delete the email without answering it (after all, there’s no reason for anybody to think Sinister Visions is hiring) – then I caught myself and realized I was about to do the same thing that somebody at That Other Company did all those years ago.

So I’ll answer the email (even if it won’t be what this person wants to hear) if only for the modicum of closure it will provide. It’s weird to be on the other side of the equation.