The first day of my not having a job was very strange. I got up with my husband, had breakfast, kissed him goodbye and then...there I was...at home. I went to work on the computer and within a hour I had: signed up for unemployment, updated my resume and sent a copy off to the recruiter. I got an e-mail back from my recruiter, thanking me for my pro-active nature and warning me that things are rough in Oregon, and I was probably in for a long job search. I decided to go out grocery shopping after that jolly note.
Over the past month, as I healed from surgery, I went out grocery shopping a proud woman. I had a job, I was on disability and I was healing. The first day shopping unemployed, completely different experience. I found myself looking at other shoppers, wondering why they were here during the day? Did they work weird shifts? Or were they like me?
I watched a group of four old women, I'm guessing the youngest was in her early 70's and I found myself loving them. Here were women who had seen so many changes in their lifetime, raised families, maybe worked outside the home on top of that, and they had survived. I overheard them trying to find "Whip cream" in the freezer aisle, I guessed they meant Cool Whip and told them where it was located. They thanked me and moved away, each with a hand on the one shopping cart they shared; an old women parade with the cart as a float. I figured if they could make it, I could make it. I also decided I was thinking to much and needed to get home and work on my script.
The following Tuesday, myself and my friend Joy went to a coffee shop to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama. It was so amazing to be surrounded by folks from every age group, clustered around a TV with a slightly blurry picture. We had to adjust the rabbit ears every once and awhile, but it felt great to be a part of a group. All together, all watching this historic moment. I cried, like everyone else and felt proud. I also had a moment where the most frightened part of me looked at the new president and thought "Help me. Please, help me." I wonder if he felt all the folks looking to him for change, hoping he could make it better, and I wonder if he had a moment and thought "I don't know if I can do this."
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Debz, I worked the phones for Barak, unfortunately he has already trashed any hope I had of any real change. His cabinet appointments run from bad to abysmal, he should have figured out in the first day of his tenure that the Rethuglicans would doing nothing but obstruct, at the expense of the country and us. He needs to clean house, knock the shit out of Pelosi and Reid and then place his boot firmly on the neck of the Rethugs and start grinding.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about your surgery. It's Susan Foley. I'm here with Jordan and Joanie Barker. Jordan is recovering from a painful back surgery. The good news is he is getting in touch with friends like Fernando, who passed your blog our way. Joanie had a stroke a few years back and has aphasia, a condition that impacts her ability to speak and read. She is enjoying your blog with us. It's full of your spirit and wit. Joanie loves your photos and would love to chat with you. When you feel up to it, give Jordan an email at jordanmart@gmail.com with your contact information, if you like, so that Joanie can get in touch with you. She'd love to visit you in Portland, too. She has a car and is mobile.
Love you,
Susan, Jordan, and Joanie