Well, I am exactly 1 week away from "celebrating" my one year anniversary of being laid off and unemployed. 52 weeks. 365 days. All without a job or any type of income (except that tiny bit of Unemployment Insurance that barely covered my apartment rent and utilities bill each month). This is quite an accomplishment, if you think about it. I am the only person from my former company to have lasted this long without running home to mommy and daddy for support. Sure the parents have begged me to move back to Houston and save my money by living with them. Up until I looked at my bank account this morning, I never gave it a moment's thought. Anyways, I'm turning to the BBS to ask how I should commemorate, quite possibly, the bleakest moment of my life. Anything involving alcohol became very played out after the third week. So that's out of the question. For those smart alecs who will tell me to "Find a job"... well I've tried for 52 weeks and have had NO SUCCESS! I'm at my wit's end and the future is not looking bright folks. I even tried to get a measly job working at video stores and grocery stores. One look at my resume and the managers knew I would bolt for a real job very quickly. They basically laughed at me. Back to the premise of this thread... How to mark the day? Knowing that money is the tightest it has ever been in my life, how would you recommend I "celebrate" 1 week from today? I'm open to any and all suggestions! (Plausible or not, of course!) By the way, I would like to thank many of you for making this past year all the more bearable. Geez listen to me... I sound like I'm accepting an Oscar or something!
No offense, drapg, but the "unemployment bit" is getting old. We know you have no job. Get one or quit whining about it.
Being at the 9 month mark myself, I have given this some thought. I have no idea what I'm going to do...but I'm pushing the wife to send me to Disneyland.
don't let the opinion of one become the opinion of many...i think most of us understand your frustrations and don't mind at all when you work through them here...don't feel like you're wasting anyone's time...you're not.
Sorry, drapg, I didn't mean to come off as rude, but to me, your unemployment routine sounds like someone who complains constantly without doing anything about it. I'm sure you are looking for a job, but I find it hard to believe you haven't found anything. I get the impression you are more proud of going a year without a job than working. IMHO, I would be embarrassed to tell people I haven't worked in a year.
Believe it...the job market sucks. I'm an attorney who graduated in the top 40% of the class and haven't been able to land a job...interviews, yes...jobs offers no. I know you didn't mean to come off this way...but it's really demeaning to those who are unemployed. Being unemployed is extremely frustrating and the worst experience I have ever had. I don't think that drapg is tapdancing about it...but you must understand that sometimes you have to make light of the situation to avoid having it eat you up.
What do they say ... yeah, walk a mile in a man's shoes before passing judgement. The job market is extremely bad. As drapg stated, he has looked for work in other fields as well and has been rejected by the more professional resume he is presenting. It took me 8 months to land a job, and although I had money to keep me going, it was the WORST 8 months of my life. You start feeling useless, and start questioning yourself. The only way I kept my sanity was through humor or just letting off steam every few months. For most of us, the BBS is almost like an online family, and there are lot of friendships that have been formed here, and it's only natural that people are willing to open up here amongst "friends". We might never meet up in person, but everyone has carved out a personality on here that everyone is aware of. Embarrassed? Why? Because the economy is bad and people in your line of work are getting hosed left and right? Because you can't get a job despite trying everything you can think of? I would be embarrassed to say I'm not working if and only if I wasn't trying my best to find something about it, which obviously isn't the case.
Dole office cler: Occupation? Comicus: Stand up philosopher... Dole office clerk: What? Comicus: Stand up philosopher. I coalesce the vapors of human existence into a viable and meaningful comprehension. Dole office clerk: Oh....a BULLSH*T artist! Did you bullsh*t last week? Comicus: No Dole office clerk: Did you TRY to bullsh*t last week? Comicus: Yes! Whenever your down in the dumps, a little Mel Brooks never fails. Dude, if all else fails, get a job at a video store! Heck, don't turn in your resume, just put a couple of old jobs you had back in high school on the application...It's not like they'll check or anything. I worked at a video store one summer...free movies and video games all the time, chit-chatting with customers, sitting around and bullsh*tting with co-workers during down time, re-stocking the porno section...best part time job I ever had...
I have, I just haven't advertised it. I was not out nearly that long, nor could I have been. Exactly. And I would not allow a family member or friend to whine without telling him. I didn't try to be mean spirited, it just came across that way onscreen. I feel for his predicament, just like I did the first 30 or so times I heard it. For the reasons stated above. Being the head of a family of five, I always have to keep a stiff upper lip and a positive outlook so as to not worry my family. I've changed careers twice in my lifetime. Look, read his post again. Yes, he's in a bad spot, but he asked how to "celebrate" his situation. I told him how I would do it. And again, I'm not saying anything I wouldn't tell my own brother to his face.
