The How: Did I Really Lose It?

I LOST MY JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!  There, I said it!  That doesn’t seem quite right though.  Should it read, I am lost without a job.  No, that’s not it either.   I didn’t misplace my employment nor am I defined by not being employed.  However, that is how things work.  I could sit here and say that I was unfairly treated and they never should have fired me.  That just isn’t the case.  To be honest, I had outgrown my job and my work suffered. My employer offered me several opportunities to improve my situation.  Unfortunately, it was like repeatly sticking a square peg into a round hole.   Everyday became a struggle.  All the shearing from trying to make it work was figuratively speaking leaving me a bloody mess.

Six months before I got fired, I was at a crossroad in my life.  There were too many things going on.  My relationship with my husband was shaky.  I was physically ill, a lot.  I was depressed. I’d started looking for other employment because I needed a change.  However, nothing came of my search.  I continued to muddle through.  Unfortunately, I could not quit.  I had obligations.

Fast forward to September 7th, we’ll call it Liberation Day.  There’s a knock on my door.  With my supervisor was a woman I’d never seen before.  I knew that she was going to be delivering ‘bad’ news.   To some, it may have been just that.  For me, it was if my chains had been broken.  I was free.  I’d made an escape plan a few weeks before and  put it into action.  This blog is one of the products of the plan.

Stay tuned!  Big things are coming!

Hi! My Name Is

AJ and I am  under-employed.  Until five weeks ago, I was employed full-time at a local university.  In my off-time, I was an independent sales person working for myself (still am).  I also supplemented these activities by baking goods for my friends.  Over the next few weeks/months, I hope to share my story, the good and the bad, with anyone willing to take a look.  This blog is my platform to discover my talents and network with like-minded individuals, possibly sharing their stories as well.

This is the first time I have been without a regular job in fifteen years. I have a background in retail and academia.  From my late teens to mid-twenties, I provided customer service for a then popular retailer.  In my late twenties, I discovered the joys of academic libraries.  I possess a degree in English, a passion for food and an affinity for helping people.  That’s quite a mash up, isn’t it?

I am excited about this phase of my life.  I was not thrilled initially about how I arrived at this point, but I know I am capable of making a success of this situation.