# I'm jealous of all of people who've got jobs. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 20, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-jealous-of-all-of-people-whove-got-jobs/550876 "2010-08-20T15:09:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-jealous-of-all-of-people-whove-got-jobs/550876/61 "2010-08-27T15:55:24Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Wish me luck. Good luck! Let me know when you are are out here. My RPCV friends have been a great resource, and any RPCV has an excellent built-in career network. I’ve only been here a week, but I’m seeing a lot of stuff that is making me really optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-jealous-of-all-of-people-whove-got-jobs/550876/62 "2010-08-27T19:26:16Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > > > Only jealous of the money they’re making. > > Well yeah. It’s easy to be jealous of the paycheck. But personally I think it’s far worse to be in a sucky job you hate, working for a rotation of shitty or abusive boss while the company is going through massive layoffs. True enough. I’ve quit enough shitty jobs to be looking pretty carefully this time. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@LilyoftheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheField)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-jealous-of-all-of-people-whove-got-jobs/550876/63 "2010-08-27T19:51:32Z")
Well, up until about a year and a half ago, I had a job. It wasn’t a bad job either, in fact it was pretty good. It paid pretty well for the amount of actual work I had to do and I was - well, I was okay with it. And I had worked for this company for over 20 years. When the day came that they called my entire unit into a meeting and let us know that all but a few were being ‘let go’, I was surprised. Not totally shocked, the economy was pretty bad, but this was something I had not seen coming. And yet… As we sat in silence, listening to management and human resources, trying to let us down as easily as possible - I found myself having to fight back a smile. I wanted to smile. Several of my co-workers were visibly upset and one actually wept. And yet I struggled to maintain an air of serious composure. I wanted to smile. It’s not that I thought that I wouldn’t be facing financial problems. I had no savings, I had only a minimal retirement account and I was totally living up to my means every month. Even with severance pay and unemployment payments, it was possible - no, likely! - that I would not be able to meet my bills every month. I could and probably would lose my house. And yet… My first thought was - “Cool! I just got the summer off!” I knew even then, that it was likely to be more than just the summer. I am not young. I am closer to retirement age than I am to ‘starting a new career’ age. I knew that it was very unlikely for me to be starting a new career. Any employment that I got at that point was going to be a ‘job’, not a career. I didn’t care. I was afraid, but at the same time, I was happy. Life had just made a decision for me. Its now a year and a half later and so far, so good. Still making those house payments. Still have yet to default on my debts. It can still happen, but if it does, it does - I still don’t care. and Life is Good… 😃 Not everything that seems bad, is bad. Not everything that seems good, is good. Resist nothing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-jealous-of-all-of-people-whove-got-jobs/550876/64 "2010-08-27T22:48:44Z")
> [@LilyoftheField](#): > > and Life is Good… > 😃 > > Not everything that seems bad, is bad. Not everything that seems good, is good. > > Resist nothing. > > 🙂 Okay, but I actually don’t have any money and am homeless. (It’s a long story, but I’m staying at my friend’s dad’s condo, which is usually empty, while I finish up my last class.) So it’s hard to be calm and relaxed about it. ---
**Author:** ![With\_Rye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@With\_Rye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/With_Rye)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-jealous-of-all-of-people-whove-got-jobs/550876/65 "2010-08-28T07:58:13Z")
> [@LilyoftheField](#): > > Well, up until about a year and a half ago, I had a job. It wasn’t a bad job either, in fact it was pretty good. It paid pretty well for the amount of actual work I had to do and I was - well, I was okay with it. And I had worked for this company for over 20 years. > > When the day came that they called my entire unit into a meeting and let us know that all but a few were being ‘let go’, I was surprised. Not totally shocked, the economy was pretty bad, but this was something I had not seen coming. > > And yet… > > As we sat in silence, listening to management and human resources, trying to let us down as easily as possible - I found myself having to fight back a smile. I wanted to smile. Several of my co-workers were visibly upset and one actually wept. And yet I struggled to maintain an air of serious composure. I wanted to smile. > > It’s not that I thought that I wouldn’t be facing financial problems. I had no savings, I had only a minimal retirement account and I was totally living up to my means every month. Even with severance pay and unemployment payments, it was possible - no, likely! - that I would not be able to meet my bills every month. I could and probably would lose my house. > > And yet… > > My first thought was - “Cool! I just got the summer off!” > > I knew even then, that it was likely to be more than just the summer. I am not young. I am closer to retirement age than I am to ‘starting a new career’ age. I knew that it was very unlikely for me to be starting a new career. Any employment that I got at that point was going to be a ‘job’, not a career. > > I didn’t care. I was afraid, but at the same time, I was happy. Life had just made a decision for me. > > Its now a year and a half later and so far, so good. Still making those house payments. Still have yet to default on my debts. It can still happen, but if it does, it does - I still don’t care. > > and Life is Good… > 😃 > > Not everything that seems bad, is bad. Not everything that seems good, is good. > > Resist nothing. > > 🙂 How are you paying your bills with no income or savings? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-jealous-of-all-of-people-whove-got-jobs/550876.md?page=3)