Empty Shelves, Full Heart
I was driving around yesterday and saw a K-Mart and decided to stop to buy a couple things I needed. Huge yellow and red signs announced its closing. "Everything must go!" Discounts galore.
It was eerie seeing the shelves barely filled with merchandise or completely empty.
Yesterday, a friend of mine told me that her company laid off a bunch of people. I've had many friends tell me the same about their companies. When I look on job posting sites, the pickings are very slim. I think I applied for the same job four times already. I imagine job recruiters and headhunters are pretty hard up now too so they are all trying to fill the same position.
Everyone keeps telling me, "Oh, you'll be fine. You'll have a new job soon."
I'm not so sure.
When I was laid off in May, I was a teensy bit freaked out, but otherwise pretty confident something would turn up quickly. And luckily, it did.
Six months later, the economy is in the toilet, companies are laying off tons of people and filing for bankruptcy and more and more businesses are shutting down completely. There are lots of empty shelves out there.
And when I listen to the news, I hear experts say, this is only the beginning.
The beginning?
I won't lie. I'm worried. Very worried.
I guess I'm lucky that I was able to pay off all my debt before this happened, so really, my only expenses are to keep are roof over my head and basic necessities like electricity and food. But to be completely honest, that just pisses me off. I've been looking forward to having some financial freedom for so long. And now I have no steady income. Zilch. And no tangible prospects.
I was really looking forward to Christmas this year. Not because I wanted to spend lots of money but because there's a real difference in buying the gift you want to give to someone you love or care about opposed to getting the gift you can afford.
And spare the me "Christmas is not about giving or getting stuff" lecture. I already know that, but you know what... IT IS partially about that.
I've been reassessing my budget this week. Determining what is my bare bones minimum and what can I cut. Do I really need Netflix? Can I afford to keep my gym membership.
It's been hard putting on a brave or even remotely happy face. Fortunately, I have great friends who are able to pull me out of the funk and make me smile and laugh. Even if it's just a phone call, email or instant message. Before it gets too dark, I am reminded that I am loved. That gets me through another day.
Comments
Thats quite sobering to see. The economic crisis is often talked about here in Australia but the signs are harder to see, we've experienced a slight down-turn at work, yet we continue to meet targets. I knew things were bad over there but I didn't realise just how dire the situation was. I certainly hope that you're able to find a job soon, as difficult as it may be (and as cliched as it sounds) remember to stay positive as this will probably get you further than anything else. I look forward to the post where you tell us all about the fab new job you've found, until then I'll keep up the positive thoughts for you, I know it isn't much but I hope it does a little something.
Posted by: Kezza | November 19, 2008 04:24 PM
I got laid off recently, too - I'm going on my second full week job-searching. There are jobs available, but they'll require you to settle for less or not work in your chosen industry just to keep bills paid. It's certainly a scary time, but I think the news media is making it a much worse thing than it really is, especially with the fear and everything. My sister, who works in a bank, told me earlier this summer not to be worried because the downturn we are seeing (at the time) was part of a normal cycle - things were going up for a while, now they've got to come back down. I wonder if she still feels the same.
Posted by: Steve | November 19, 2008 08:27 PM
I think you should put on a fucking pissed off face. Because nobody with half a gram of sense is buying a remotely happy face these days. Unless they're on lots of antidepressants--in which case I want what they're on. (PS: your comment spam verification sucks the donkey. But bless.)
Posted by: Jeff | November 22, 2008 04:42 PM