On July 9th, 2012, I will have been unemployed three years. I remember well how strange it felt that last night. How somber my Control Center co-workers were, since we had lost one of our own 2 weeks before. The promises to keep in touch. We didn't.
How it felt so final when the door closed behind me for the last time, and knowing that I couldn't get back in because my manager had taken my badge. Very very weird. I stood there in the dark, waiting for Hubs to come around to the back of the building to pick me up. He wanted it that way, I believe he left through a back door of his building too. He didn't want to see anyone, or witness any tearful goodbyes.
We were much luckier than most, I believe. We all knew it was coming, but Hubs was smart enough to pay off all our credit cards, and reduce in every possible way, our debt and bills. Just before the closing of our plant, we refinanced our mortgage, and with the money we got from that, paid off the loan on his truck. So we had no car payments, as my Jeep had been paid off since the December before. And we had no credit card debt.
Every one of us that worked there hoped against hope that someone, anyone, would buy us, but thank the Goddess Hubs decided not to take any chances. Thus his financial decisions, and he started our debt reduction well over a year before we were actually unemployed.
The money we both got for severance pay we could make last as long as we needed. That summer, since we weren't working, Hubs replaced all the old windows in our house, for energy efficiency. He also painted the house, and we replaced the front door too. We used to get quite a draft from that old front door, and the big picture window too. Hubs wanted to keep busy, so it was good for him, and long term good for us.
We got very lucky; Hubs found a good job in November, on the same site where we both had worked, but in a different building. I stayed on UI as long as they would have me. No one would hire me, and in that whole two years I didn't have any job interviews.
I've been off UI for just over a year now. I am still looking for work. I've had a few interviews, even one call back. But not one job offer. It's very discouraging.
This helps to explain why I knit or crochet so much. It makes me feel like I am doing something, I can sell the things I make. I have had a little success, I have made and sold three shawls. I sold one afghan, and threw in three free ones, they are still in my basement waiting to be sent to Texas. (I haven't forgotten, Gordie!)
OK, enough of the sob story. Let's not mention it again, please. I usually like to talk about fun and happy things. I am almost universally known for my upbeat attitude and positive outlook. See, Shit does happen, and Misery is optional! (See post from Sept. 21, 2011) And sometimes it happens to me!!
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