I just stumbled upon this blog, and have to share my experience. At the age of 57, I left a job in banking after 16 years. The stress, the politics, the disrespect was literally killing me. I smoked, drank, took antidepressants and finally realized, it was not worth my life. I had enough in savings to live for awhile without worry, so I took the plunge.
I had experience in banking, retail, medical office, and felt I would learn to live on less income and be happy. And, yes, I was very happy. I was able to spend time with my grandchildren, got back into flower gardening, crafts, birdwatching, it has been great. I didn’t need to smoke or drink and was able to come off all the meds!
However, while I continued to search for work during this time, I was having no luck at all. I had never had such a hard time finding work. So, over a year later, still no job, no income, I have lost my car, my home, and am living with my son. Don’t get me wrong, he is wonderful, but I have been single and extremely independent for many years. This is not what I planned.
So, sharing a little part of my story is my way of asking, now what? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. No one can solve this but me, I have just run out of ideas….
Anonymous
Dear Lady Unemployed –
Your story resonates so much with mine. It’s been two years since we moved cross-country and my state told me I could not practice or get licensed as a therapist here without re-doing my entire Masters degree. And, it’s been two years since I’ve found work. A lot is the vastly different way to find work these days – I need to hire a millennial to help me, I guess. But, also, I like being a stay-at-home mom, I like making swim practice, and eating healthy dinners, and reading to my boys at night… I hate not having enough money for anything and we’re on the verge of losing our home. It’s been hard to move past this – really to move past losing my dream of being a therapist finally. I don’t really need advice; but it’s always so helpful feeling like I’m not alone.