Unemployment bad dream For Women Over 60
Thank God for a new year. For many of us 2007 was great, for others not so good. I fell into the not so good part back in February when I was evicted from my home of 10 years. If any of you have ever bartered for your rent you know that if you are gainfully employed with a full time job, bartering (in this case working part-time for a pool assistance which was owned by the someone I rented from) constitutes, in reality, a second job. It is a heck of a lot of work.
Unemployment bad dream For Women Over 60
Although family and friends speedily came to my salvage I had to leave a job I loved, move out of the area and relocate to eventually, after a second move, live with a family member, because my paycheck covered expenses but not my rent. The first move was costly but by selling off a lot of what I accumulated over the years I was able to pay for the move with carport sale funds.
After the move, I applied for unemployment but was denied the benefit. If you have ever gone through this process before, you will recall you had to speak to a representative who would go over your situation and then write his or her decision sending the correspondence that takes other week or so to get to you, by mail. Without too much prejudice, I am guessing, by the sound of my interviewer's voice, she may have been in her mid to late twenties. I sensed we had, not just a generation gap, but that she in fact did not hear or at least, sympathize with my situation. Ah, to be young and naive again!
I decided to petition the decision and won my case but it was other 4 months before I saw any payments and the benefits have since been exhausted. As I had no "backup" wage other than a 401K with a join of thousand dollars in it, living expenses such as car payment, car insurance, gas, cell phone expenses, reputation cards, utilities, food, etc., speedily ate up what I had managed to save. In fact, I have a join of reputation cards I named Peter and Paul because I have to borrow from one to pay the other. For that matter, there is also Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that I'm stretching pretty far now too. Yada, yada, yada!!
This is not meant to be a poor me story because after some time of feeling sorry for myself and sitting on my "pity-pot" 8 months now, I have decided to work from home. This decision did not come easy but I have applied for over 150 jobs, both on-line and through employment agencies (I am registered with at least 7) and still no job. One of the agents in fact called me after I had physically gone to them to apply, and asked me when I was born. I belief that was a minuscule suspicious because I am now 61 and it is illegal to discriminate because of age, yet I think that is exactly what may be happening. What a shame! Nobody wants to be put in a position where they feel as if they are begging to secure a job they are not only remarkable to have but will resolve for something they did when they were first starting out in the job market. Just put me to work. To be a WalMart greeter is admirable and honorable, just not yet! The pay wouldn't even buy my groceries for the month, much less fill the gas tank.
At any rate here are 5 suggestions for those in a similar position, to help you keep in good spirits:
1. Surround yourself with those who love you because even though this is your own race and you must run it alone, it is great to have a cheering section.
2. Be diligent in your quest for work, while being open to new opportunities.
3. Do not be afraid to ask for help (even from your children).
4. Accept, cherish and act on good guidance from family, friends, neighbors and professionals not fogetting to thank them.
5. Keep yourself in good health by eating right, sleeping enough (not too much) and do anything practice your body can conveniently tolerate (a good walk at a talking pace for about 45 min. Works for me).
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