wages

I find myself in unchartered waters. After 29 incredibly hardworking and loyal years for the same employers, I was laid off. Because of the time I first started working—contracts were not a standard—so I left with NO severance and barely any notice. (ZERO dollars.) As that is a still a touchy topic for me I will move forward to the reason I write today: NEWLY UNEMPLOYED

Whereas I am told there are good people, willing to go that “extra mile” for their fellow-man, I am having trouble finding them. Thus far the only good I see Is in that of my friends and family who have been putting up with my incessant—probably intolerable—whining.

The varying opinions, along with the openly incomprehensible lack of tact by “supposed” professionals is mind bending. I very much want to be the glass is half full girl. I want to go back to what was clearly naivety of FIRST believing in the good of people—right before being proven wrong.

I have applied for unemployment. Another low point in my life. It has been made clear to me NOW, that my choices in life were less than perfect. The structure and consistency of my everyday life has literally CEASED. I spend hours upon hours scouring for jobs, contacting people I thought were supposed to help but literally made me feel worse, (an agency, that out of respect I will not mention), and my days are depressing.

In the past I would watch or read the news each day and hear the numbers, some of the stories, of the unemployed and have no real connection to it. WELL, I do now.

It is infuriating to think my 29 years means so little. It is embarrassing to me to be dependent on anyone but myself. It is petrifying to think that I might have deluded myself all these years into thinking I am something I am not.

Being unemployed, not by firing, but by “downsizing” or whatever the trendy word is these days, does not change the facts. I no longer wake up, shower, dress, get on the train, go to work, do my job—very well—and am rewarded with my paycheck. I am one of SO many people, willing, ready and WANTING to work, but these wages need to allow me/them to keep my/their home and food.

I have decided that the fault is twofold. Creating more jobs that cannot possibly sustain any kind of life on Long Island, is a smokescreen by the government to make you think everything is getting better. WRONG.  Employers who prefer to hire people not on experience, proven performance or quality is the other problem. Everywhere I turn it seems that the rule of thumb is to take one’s chances with the less qualified, less experienced for LESS money.

I didn’t make a lot of money. And all I want is the chance to work… make close to what I was making, doing something I know how to do, in order to keep paying my bills. (Not credit card debt.) I am talking mortgage, insurance, utilities. I am like millions of others who are for reasons I shouldn’t mention here, like my age and experience actually being worth something, are being overlooked.

I am now one of the people who I read about, hear about, and my feelings  have far surpassed mere sympathy to downright heart wrenching empathy.

For anyone reading this who is currently unemployed and feeling as if crawling out from this place with your head held high seems increasingly impossible—I hear ya!

My life is changing every second as is everyone who is unemployed… and I can only hope that the upswing is nearing.

Xoxo  DDJ

Reach me at RED@dealingwithfools.com