This is a post I’ve wanted to write for quite some time, but for a variety of reasons, I was not allowed to write. This issue has been weighing heavily on my mind and heart for a while and pretty much all I’ve been able to think about.
I’m not even sure how to begin other than to just jump in and say, we’re now part of that growing unemployment rate.
I’ll have to be impossibly vague about this news, of course, but suffice it to say, my husband’s company is on the verge of some big-time restructuring changes.
I’ve suspected we were heading down this path for quite some time, but the company made it public yesterday.
I’m angry, scared, determined, apprehensive, and bitter. And that bitterness is directed toward the government. Because this current administration? Is directly responsible for this turn of events.
And I will leave it at that. If I say anything more, it’ll end up being a political rant and I just don’t want to go down that road right now. It’s pointless. What’s done is done.
All we can do at this point in time is damage control.
But through the myriad of emotions tumbling through my confusion right now, I’m especially humbled. It’s so easy to take life for granted, to always assume that one’s job will be there. That there will always be a steady trickle of money coming in.
And then suddenly, it’s all gone. A force, outside our control, has ripped that security from our hands. That’s so incredibly frustrating.
My heart goes out to all of my husband’s constituents. This is not a good time to lose one’s job. It’s never a good time to lose one’s job. But with unemployment in the double digits and the holidays coming up, it’s just bad timing.
I’ve never been fired. I’ve never been in this situation where one day I have a job, and the next, I don’t. So I can’t fully appreciate what these poor people are thinking or going through right now. I can’t imagine what the conversations were about at the dinner table last night but I can tell you, we’ll be fine.
This will be an adjustment for us, but our hardship will be NOTHING like the struggle so many other people are being forced to endure right now.
But whatever happens, we’ll be fine.
I know this because first and foremost, I trust God. He has never failed us – EVER. He will help us help ourselves. We will move on. It’s scary, suddenly having that rug yanked out from under us, but we’ll survive largely because we have God watching our backs.
Secondly, our lives are a bit more flexible right now. I can, and most certainly will, get a job in the very near future. Dude is now eligible to get his driver’s license, so he can help out with Jazz’s extra-curricular activities, if needed. Dude is also old enough to get a job, but I’d prefer that be a last resort as I’d rather have the boy concentrate on his studies right now.
But still, it’s a viable option. And I like options.
And Kevin? Is choosing to look at this turn of events as a way of possibly doing something different with his life. It’s an opportunity to pursue other interests, to try new things. And I’m excited for him. I want him to be happy and content in whatever he decides to do. And I will support him 150%.
This change is both exciting and terrifying at the same time.
I’m not a big fan of change. I like things slow, steady and predictable. There’s control in that stability. When things change, the control shifts and we’re suddenly left flailing our arms on the precipice of a new adventure. And though I’ve never been one to back away from a new challenge, I’m not exactly a person who LOOKS for those challenges either.
We told the boys what was going on last night. They weren’t really freaked out, but then again, I’m not sure they really understand what’s happening. I mean, they KNOW what’s happening, it’s just, I don’t think they really understand how this will impact our family.
Financially, we’ll be okay. We don’t have a lot of debt and this has been a good excuse to talk to the boys about the importance of paying things off and not having a lot of debt to begin with. But we’ll still be tightening our belts and watching every penny – even more so than usual. But again, we’re choosing to focus on the positive and not the negative.
Of course I say this now, let’s see what happens six months from now.
So, like soooo many other Americans, we’re now in the same unemployed boat. Let’s hope the vessel can safely hold all of us until we hit land once again.
Write From Karen 