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.
True enough. I’ve quit enough shitty jobs to be looking pretty carefully this time.
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.
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.
How are you paying your bills with no income or savings?