Well folks color me a little bitter today. For the first time since the Sorcerer's Stone was released in 2001, I will not only be missing opening night, but I will not be going to see it period. Why you ask? Oh a little thing called being laid-off, and being cut to a mere 1/3 of what you made before. At first things were going ok, we cut back on spending etc., but now the true ugliness of what is to come is looming over the horizon. I suppose a logical person would be more worried about the fact that I'm probably going to loose my car soon - but hey, I'm not using it anyway...I DON'T HAVE A JOB. Nor do I have any prospects for one. I'm even looking in three other states - NOTHING!
I know the economy stinks, and that there are plenty of other folks who are in the same boat. I also know that there are those in positions of power that still have their jobs, and they still get to go out for dinner, and take their kids to movies and go on vacations, etc. Why don't they have to walk in my hole ridden, sole falling off shoes for a while. Yet there they sit across from you, saying how bad they feel that they have to lay you off, and how they wish things were different. Uh-huh, if you feel so bad, why don't you take a big pay cut and keep a few folks on the payroll.
To top it all off, the other day I went to Sams Club (paid for a years membership through the office several months ago) and at the register my card was rejected because the office had revoked my membership! Mind you, I PAID FOR IT, not them it just saved me 5.00 getting it that way. So I had to either drop everything I had bought or pay 40.00 for a new membership. Cheap Bastards. I broke out in tears, I worked for that company for over 15 years - it totally broke my heart. Up until that moment I really believed that they were sorry, and that they would hire me back as soon as they could. Well, if nothing else it opened my eyes WIDE OPEN!
I am no longer young hip and cool - I don't fit into their perfect little microscope any longer.
Thanks to them, I have been reduced to giving away my horse, probably will be selling my goats to someone who wants to eat them, selling the pigs for the same thing, and asking neighbors to pick things up for us in town because even while I still have my car (for the moment) I can't afford the gas to go myself.
We did not live beyond our means, we had one car payment, no credit cards, no loans, a managable rent and utilities. No one ever told me I had better make sure and live off 1/3 of what I actually make just to be sure. I don't know one person who saves 2/3's of their income. I was not living high on the hog - I was simply living. Now I feel like I'm dying...piece by piece.
