I got laid off today.
Earlier today when I went stumbling into work the first thing that was said to me was, "A lot of people have been laid off today." I could feel the aura of tension, anxiety, and sadness in the air. Numerous people were teary eyed and solemn.
Then, before I even had a chance to login to my computer my work phone started ringing on my desk. The name of the H.R. person popped up on the caller ID. Ah damnit, I thought. When I answered he asked, "Hey Mel. Would you mind coming up to my office?"
I immediately knew that this was the call.
I've never experienced being laid off or fired before, so I couldn't at all predict how I'd react.
Surprisingly, I didn't feel a wave of emotion. No fear or anxiety, or even shock. I didn't feel like it was surreal or that I was stunned, either. Just, that I'm one person out of millions that are have become unemployed in the United States. It's something I have no control over and I have no choice but to make the best of it.
I also suspect that my panic instinct blew a fuse somewhere along the way and has just ceased to function.
Mostly, I immediately thought about the Bush administration and our economy. I've known for some time that the odds weren't in my favor based on the state of our economy currently.
I also thought about how the greatest discomfort was just not having control over my circumstances. How, when one's dependent on insurance or living paycheck-to-paycheck, as I am, it's very important to have that ability to predict the future, that income, those options.
Still, this is something that's beyond my control. And, on the plus side, this is probably a good kick in the butt towards a more adventurous direction. You know, an adventure of being non-insured and losing 85.6% of my independence. Wee! Fortunately though, I'm not alone. I have loving friends and family to rely on who are all living in this crapfest of an economy also. And I'm getting oodles of sympathy.
And who doesn't love oodles of sympathy?
I know I do.
I also found another job! It entails going to my mom's house to use her Internet, eat her food, and walk the family dog. It doesn't pay much (i.e. $0.00/hour), but it's rewarding in its own way.
Seriously though, I'm now sailing along in a rackety ol' boat with over 12 million other Americans. I mean, 651,000 jobs were eliminated just last month, according to figures recently released by the Labor Department. Not to mention that, since 2007, the US has lost more than 4.4 million jobs. More than half of those losses took place in the past four months alone.
More jobs were eliminated in the year ending February 28, 2009 than in any other 12-month period in US history since such statistics began to be collected.
The Bush administration really did a number. It's astounding. And now.it's.finally.over. Finally. All I've ever known my adult life, since voting for the first time ever when I turned 18, has been that administration wreaking havoc on our civil liberties, on our economy, on other countries and... just, on and on. And now it's over.
Even getting laid off can't suppress that excitement, sense of optimism, and hope.
Plus, I know that I wasn't "let go" due to anything I'd done aside from living in the wrong place (*cough*UnitedStates*cough*) at the wrong time (*cough*worstpresidencyinhistory*cough*), which is a bit comforting. If this had happened while Bush was President, I'd be so full of hopeless and despair that this would've just pushed me over the fly-the-fuck-out-of-this-coop-somehow edge. I'd be flipping my lid.
But now? The damage is done and we're all picking up the pieces. It's 8 years to recover from and obviously can't be fixed overnight. That disaster of an embarrassing theocracy of of dictator administration is a thing of the past, and everything's going uphill from here.
Plus and most importantly, when I'm old and wise I'll be able to gather all of those whiny naive youngins around and tell them about the days of the Depression and how I had to walk 1200 miles in the snow with nothin' but my rat chewed sneakers and a sack of potaters.
New York Times: Job Losses Hint at Vast Remaking of Economy
Earlier today when I went stumbling into work the first thing that was said to me was, "A lot of people have been laid off today." I could feel the aura of tension, anxiety, and sadness in the air. Numerous people were teary eyed and solemn.
Then, before I even had a chance to login to my computer my work phone started ringing on my desk. The name of the H.R. person popped up on the caller ID. Ah damnit, I thought. When I answered he asked, "Hey Mel. Would you mind coming up to my office?"
I immediately knew that this was the call.
I've never experienced being laid off or fired before, so I couldn't at all predict how I'd react.
Surprisingly, I didn't feel a wave of emotion. No fear or anxiety, or even shock. I didn't feel like it was surreal or that I was stunned, either. Just, that I'm one person out of millions that are have become unemployed in the United States. It's something I have no control over and I have no choice but to make the best of it.
I also suspect that my panic instinct blew a fuse somewhere along the way and has just ceased to function.
Mostly, I immediately thought about the Bush administration and our economy. I've known for some time that the odds weren't in my favor based on the state of our economy currently.
I also thought about how the greatest discomfort was just not having control over my circumstances. How, when one's dependent on insurance or living paycheck-to-paycheck, as I am, it's very important to have that ability to predict the future, that income, those options.
Still, this is something that's beyond my control. And, on the plus side, this is probably a good kick in the butt towards a more adventurous direction. You know, an adventure of being non-insured and losing 85.6% of my independence. Wee! Fortunately though, I'm not alone. I have loving friends and family to rely on who are all living in this crapfest of an economy also. And I'm getting oodles of sympathy.
And who doesn't love oodles of sympathy?
I know I do.
I also found another job! It entails going to my mom's house to use her Internet, eat her food, and walk the family dog. It doesn't pay much (i.e. $0.00/hour), but it's rewarding in its own way.
Seriously though, I'm now sailing along in a rackety ol' boat with over 12 million other Americans. I mean, 651,000 jobs were eliminated just last month, according to figures recently released by the Labor Department. Not to mention that, since 2007, the US has lost more than 4.4 million jobs. More than half of those losses took place in the past four months alone. More jobs were eliminated in the year ending February 28, 2009 than in any other 12-month period in US history since such statistics began to be collected.
The Bush administration really did a number. It's astounding. And now.it's.finally.over. Finally. All I've ever known my adult life, since voting for the first time ever when I turned 18, has been that administration wreaking havoc on our civil liberties, on our economy, on other countries and... just, on and on. And now it's over.
Even getting laid off can't suppress that excitement, sense of optimism, and hope.
Plus, I know that I wasn't "let go" due to anything I'd done aside from living in the wrong place (*cough*UnitedStates*cough*) at the wrong time (*cough*worstpresidencyinhistory*cough*), which is a bit comforting. If this had happened while Bush was President, I'd be so full of hopeless and despair that this would've just pushed me over the fly-the-fuck-out-of-this-coop-somehow edge. I'd be flipping my lid.
But now? The damage is done and we're all picking up the pieces. It's 8 years to recover from and obviously can't be fixed overnight. That disaster of an embarrassing theocracy of of dictator administration is a thing of the past, and everything's going uphill from here.
Plus and most importantly, when I'm old and wise I'll be able to gather all of those whiny naive youngins around and tell them about the days of the Depression and how I had to walk 1200 miles in the snow with nothin' but my rat chewed sneakers and a sack of potaters.
New York Times: Job Losses Hint at Vast Remaking of Economy
Geez, that sucks. But at least there is the small silver lining of being able to make a list of people you will NEVER HAVE TO SEE AGAIN.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the dark side... i.e. unemployment.
ReplyDeleteWe give cookies, vegan ones too. *hands you one*
I would give you a big hug if I were near you then bitch right along with you about our fucked up country. sending good cheer.
ReplyDeleteraedances: HA! Very good point.
ReplyDeleteLost: It's kind of a foreign, rickety boat, but as long as there are vegan cookies on board, everything is looking just fine. ;]
ReplyDeleteshane: Aw! Thank you! Bitching helps a tremendous amount, and also - by looking at it via a less personal lens (i.e. the tide that's sweeping our entire country), it actually helps to feel a lot more hopeful and, most importantly, less isolated.
ReplyDeleteI love that your panic instinct blew a fuse. It totally feels like that.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, sorry to hear the news... we should get together and try to find free and entertaining things to do... like take the puppies to the park! :)
btw - you're going to sign up for the cobra insurance right? With the new plan Obama put in place the government will pay 65% of it so you only owe 35% I'm trying to figure it all out myself now but it's totally something you should consider.
ReplyDeleteWhat dumb shit thing are you talking about? You can't be talking about what we did as a group on Friday, because that was FUN and no where near the relms of dumb ;)
ReplyDelete