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Gwens IconYou ever have a really good time one day, then wake up the next morning and feel like a truck hit you?

Yeah? 

Well, that’s where I was about a year ago.  Had a really great job, making really good money, then, BAM! a truck called “Unemployment” hit me.  When I woke up the next day, I was laid off and my body hurt all over.

I don’t remember much of the next several months.  It’s all a blur of depression, job hunting, and more depression.  I can’t say I am surprised the hunting was unsuccessful – I mean, who doesn’t want a depressed, expensive employee? Gack!

What I do remember is I sat on my sofa, researched Scottish castle ruins (I know, weird, right?), shuttled my kid to and from various kid activities, and moped.

I slowly realized that I’ve had a full-time job since I was 18, with the few exceptions of college semesters and one previous lay-off from a different company.  That’s almost 30 years of working all the time.  Does this look familiar to anyone?

Well crap. Here I am. Unemployed, single, kid to raise.  Now what do I do? I started to get mad, then I moped a bit more, and slowly realized it was time to re-think my life.  Helluva time to have the “what do I want to be when I grow up” conversation with myself, isn’t it?  But I did.

I decided to quit lallygagging around and get my law degree. There.  Decision made.  How do I make it happen, I ask myself.  Slowly, and with patience, I answered.

That done, I moved my daughter out of the three bedroom/two bath house and into a studio apartment over the garage at my mom and dad’s house.  Got rid of all the “excess” bells and whistles (just have the cell phone for telephone, etc.) and put a ton of furniture in storage.  I am now stripped down and ready to take anything on.

So. This is where I am today, over a year later, still looking for work, digging around for school grants and other ways to help pay for this new direction I’m taking.  I’m trying to stay local, so I’ll be able to be a mom in addition to all the rest – but at least I have a plan.  And that’s all I need right now – a way forward.

Where are you in your life? Are you doing what you want to do? Where you want to be? Is life turning out the way you thought it would?  How has the economic climate affected you?