Pretty much immediately after the Election was “won” by a conman, the interest rates went to hell in the industry I worked in, which was mortgage. When that happens things inevitably get tricky for financial institutions, especially for mortgage companies that have most of their business tied up in refinances rather than purchases. A couple of days after the Election, we received the warning in a mass email of coming hard times. I started noticing a flurry of management meetings and furtive glances around the office by members of the management team. And then, just this past week, a more ominous warning via a mass email came down portending that the next 180 days were going to be severely rocky. In other words, cue the cut backs on staff.
The rest, as they say is history, meaning my employment.
And now I have unexpected free time on my hands due to this unintended vacation. Surely that means there’s more time to read and write, right?
Ha! No.
That’s more time to stress over the process of finding new, promising employment in one of the two slowest months in the job market, just prior to the holidays. Christmas and the New Year looms. Who can relax enough to enjoy the escapism of reading? Who can relax enough to be creative? I mean, I have plenty of creative projects to work on, hell, I was just in the middle of developing one with my buddy and artist Jack when this occurred. It’s all inside me, yet there’s this immense blockage that has imposed itself in the middle of the process, uninvited.
My muse has been usurped. As if I need ANY extra distractions, reasons or excuses for not writing fiction. Not since I’ve been a grown, responsible adult have I been able to dive into my fiction during high times of stress and calamity. In the early years as a New Adult, that was an option. When you’re in your 40’s things of non-reality seem to become frivolous diversions from the very real, dire task at hand.
So, yes, there’s cruel irony in my newfound extra time to myself. What I really want to do at this very moment is actually the last thing I am able to bring myself to do. I’m lucky to’ve squeezed out this little missive, all things considered.
After all, there are resumes to update and polish, and job applications to complete. Certainly no fun in that task.
Wish me luck. I’ll need it.
Lost Signal 
I hope you find something fantastic very soon – what a crappy end to a shitty year. Boo 2016. Let’s hope 2017 is kinder to everyone. ((((hugs)))
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Agreed and agreed. Thanks Jenny. This is hopefully just a current phase and I’ll snap out of it in a day or two. My free time can’t be spent just moping, right?
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I’m sorry to hear about the job loss but keep your head up. I hope you find something soon. Hang in there! The world is an unfair and cruel place, but you are strong^^
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Thank you. I really appreciate those words.
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Brandon,
Thank you for your writings and sharing your wisdom and experiences.
I wish you all the best in your new career chapter.
12 years ago this week my wife & I both lost our jobs. We were scared and insecure financially eith mortgage, health insurance and car payments and worried on so many levels.
We had never been out of work at the same time before.
I have a quirky & amusing story I can share about giving each other a session with an intuitive reader & spiritual advisor as our unemployed holiday gift to eachother in 2004. The intuitive told me I would find a good job, eould live what i did for work and my boss would love. I do and my boss does and I love her and her family.
The intuitive asked my wife who had veen in sales her enture lufe, if she ever considered a career in real estate, she said no, she did not like many of the Realtors she met and did not want to read that book or take that test.
We finished our separate sessions with the intuitive, walked out & into my car when my wife’s phone rang.
It was a friend who she had done some marketing work for and Bill asked if she could pain as he needed help.
It turned out it was to physically paint his business partners real estate classroom.
She did and bartered for a real estate class and began her career in real estate and loves the art of the deal!
Jobs and careers did work out for us, as predicted by the intuitive and 12 years later we are still in those jobs/career & home.
It was not easy, but we made it thru that uncertain time and we are more than ok in a lot of areas in our life. We still need to work on the diet health part and know we are both addicted to sugar and carbs. We hope to do this in 2017.
I apologize for the long share.
My step son Matt and his wife are having their first baby (girl) in February 2017.
I will sharing your writing with him.
Thank you.
Happy holidays and I wish you the best of everything.
Sincerely.
Terry
💖
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