Carol

Moment to Moment

It's Complicated

My New Normal

In 2008 my longtime job vanished in a move of the company overseas. Hundreds of resume submissions went unacknowledged, to the point I was moved to tears of gratitude when I got at least an auto-response. Pushing 60, in an industry (publishing) that was cutting back everywhere, I knew my chances were slim, but I wasn't prepared for the deafening silence that greeted my years of experience. Exhaustion of my unemployment benefits was followed a few months later by a painful decision to declare bankruptcy – I had to borrow money from a friend to pay the lawyer and fees! Finally, one of those magical “networking” doors opened up and I started getting a little freelance work, which led to more, and still more. It’s still moment to moment, and I have to watch my pennies – which is easier when you’ve got no credit to fall back on! But forget about things like healthcare, a savings account, or other “luxuries” I used to enjoy when I had a regular, fulltime job. And (speaking of rent) “retirement” as an option simply doesn’t exist for me, especially if I want to stay in this part of the country.

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY 11209