I’m also approaching my job hunt with eyes wide open: I’m looking for work in publishing, a rapidly shrinking and changing field, after more than five critical years out of the industry. It’s been difficult, and at times I’ve felt frustrated and extremely dejected trying to get back into it, but there hasn’t been much else to do but dive in headfirst and hope for a break. I know I won’t do finance again, and I’ve missed this year’s graduate school deadlines. Unless I’m looking to nanny off the books, my options are limited. It’s that kind of thinking that makes me want to reach for the Haagen-Dazs with orange fingers once I’ve polished off the nachos…
Or, I can remember to keep doing as much as I was before the layoff as possible. Clearly there are financial considerations, but I can keep living without living it up. I have a budget; some months it’s tighter than others. But I know I’ve been blessed; I’ve got parents who aren’t crazy about my phone getting disconnected. I know at some point I’ll be paying that bill for myself again; in the meantime, I’ve learned to put the guilt and pride about that in a little box with a tight seal.
This is also a time where having good friends willing to compromise a bit is critical. The friends who feel the need to dine at Michelin-star restaurants? I’m probably not seeing them much, and that’s fine. This is a time where I need to feel as comfortable in my surroundings as possible; pouring money down the drain (and really, what else can you call ordering $14 cocktails?) is not gonna make that happen. On the other hand, chilling with friends who go out of their way to consider options I can afford? That’s a gift I’m continually grateful for, as are all the affordable joints (they exist!) in Brooklyn: BKLYN Lager on Flatbush Avenue makes a mean cheddar & scallion frittata on a buttermilk biscuit for under five bucks; there are Groupons for everything from fake eyelashes and acupuncture treatments to skydiving lessons and 2-for-1 dinners; Bath & Body Works and Target coupons (I can never have enough
candles); first Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum (free evenings guaranteed to get you liquored up as you appreciate fine art, offbeat bands, and a lovely mash of neighbors from five or more sub-neighborhoods in the borough); free Regal movie sodas and tickets…. If there’s a discount to be had, I’ve become an expert in finding it.
Well damn, some of you may still think I’m coasting on this whole Federal thing, just turning lemons into lemonade, spiking it with vodka on the tough days and generally not suffering enough for someone who doesn’t mind sharing when she’s suffering.
canyouhelpmeimlost 
Great piece BSC!!! This was DEFINITELY work waiting for. I am now well-fed and before I head to my crazy job, just wanted you to know that you wrote about a difficult subject (the dreaded unemployment) with insight, humor and a balanced perspective. Thank you for sharing the lessons you have learned thus far along this journey. I know God has great plans for you, and when you get into your Promised Land, you will see this as one of the best seasons of your life.
LikeLike
It was really an interesting one to write. I know I’d mentioned it here and there but I wanted to definitively address what this time has been like (which made it tough; I needed to use THE right words for everything). Ultimately it felt good to purge, and hopefully I put out into the universe that although I’m ready for change, this part of my life doesn’t have to be tragic. I remain grateful and excited for your support, Marcia. You rock!
LikeLike
LOL “Around me, there was the absolute chaos of a small civil war, with four separate instances of clients cursing out the employees, supervisors and/or the security guard in the 15 minutes I waited on line.”
LOVE the way you paint a picture with words!
And thanks for the shout out/call out :-P I love the “find your passion” idea and agree 100%! My passion – first full time job is my family/husband and kids… Now to find out how to get paid (well) for that! My other passion second job is advertising and impacting how African Americans are viewed in media (SO far reaching). I have been trying to do my part there the past 10 years :-P
LikeLike
I’ve always seen you running your own boutique agency, Simone! It all comes back to “how to get paid for it?” I’m glad you enjoyed it. That trip
to 4th Avenue really could have been staged…When the woman started shaking her crutch my mouth dropped open and I covered it
with the Kindle…I have never heard the F-bomb dropped so many times by people LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE. Then I left and the world bumped
back onto its axis. ;-)
LikeLike
Hi Ms. BSC,
Yay! I’m so glad you’ve written another delightful, thoughtful piece. It made my day. The RIGHT words and more were on target! Keep ’em coming (please). : )
I love your work…descriptions, humor, lessons learned, etc.
LikeLike
Thanks, lovely lady I couldn’t possibly be related to! I’m glad you enjoyed it and it spoke to you. I plan on writing more regularly. Please keep reading!
LikeLike
Great post. You really articulated the drama of unemployment well. Unemployment can suck (been there, done that), but glad to hear that you’re keeping motivated and not letting it keep you down.
LikeLike
Thanks, Dienna. I also have my sucky “why me” days; I just try not to have too many too often. :-)
LikeLike
Today’s blog was great. I smiled the whole way through. I once met someone who self-published their poetry (pre-internet), and hustled them to anyone they met. There is no reason the same can’t be done today with a collection of short stories.
I have a friend named Abdullah who taught himself calligraphy. Every holiday, he was on the sidewalks of NY and Newark hawking them on the sidewalk, with the giftee’s name added to personalize it.
I used to make leather hippie-tasseled bags and peddled them in the Village on the weekends. My carrying case got too heavy, and since we were always harassed by the police, despite having licenses, I started to make jewelry. As you know, I eventually got my own store and designed and made jewelry for 23 years.
My next-door neighbor is a teacher’s assistant who sells handbags that she buys wholesale from 34th St and sells to her co-workers (after hours, of course).
I tried doing handwriting analysis at flea markets. Fail. I tried selling computer games at computer shows. Fail. I opened an ebay store, but never put it into production. They banned me for a debt of $47 I owed them. Now I can’t spend my money there (hehe).
Keep trying. You’ll eventually find your “dream job/vocation.” Who knows, you might even end up self-publishing your humorous stories about the crazy people you’ve encountered in New York City!
LikeLike
I’m pleased you enjoyed it. I remember a lot of those endeavors (I definitely thought the writing analysis was, ah, unique!). Working Saturdays at the shop as a teen was a great intro to the Village just before it was taken over by yogurt shops and make-your-own-salad joints. It also triggered a love for jewelry that I’ve never been able to properly rein in, so thanks! You didn’t mention your own writing; that sort of thing tends to be genetic, no?
LikeLike
This was a great read and it provided some really great perspective that was relatable to so many other times in our lives when things don’t go according to the “master plan.” ;) Thank you for sharing!
LikeLike
Thanks for reading! I really appreciate it. :-)
LikeLike