Reflections of the Unemployed Week 2

Well, when you think things just couldn't get any worse, they do. As some of you already know, the house on the river was facing foreclosure. Several days after I was fired the news came...they re-modified the loan. Actually all they did was tack on all the past due payments for an even bigger payment. Of course my charming x-husband called to ask me what I was going to do about my 1/2 of the payment before even mentioning they re-modified. I'm thinking "what house payment?" "wtf".

Now during all this time the house has been flooded, not so bad inside, nothing damaged as I put everything on cinder blocks before leaving. The mail not having been delivered for a week, I just got word from unemployment today that due to the circumstances, I might not be eligible. So my dream of saving the house has become a pipe dream and I have to move out and now I hope it will be sold. I've been encountering one obstacle after another.

Today, I received a call from human resources from my former company, telling me that my insurance ended the day after my termination. I filled my prescriptions right away but now they are giving me a hard time over the antidepressant and I've still not gotten that and am almost out and sadly those pills are a year old but at least they are working, otherwise I might not be able to cope with it all.

I've applied for at least a dozen jobs last week and haven't even had to leave the house. I'm beginning to wonder if online job applications are really the way to go. I know I'm well qualified for all of them but they don't get to see me or get a glimpse of my personality. I know it was just last week but so far I've not received a call and under the circumstances, I'm impatient.

I can imagine all around the country and here in the Quad Cities, how many people are facing the same situation as myself. There are probably people in worse situations than me. I went to the unemployment office just today to drop off copies of pay stubs from an entire quarter of earnings my company failed to report. They made me take a number; 52, they were on 25. They've even extended their hours for being able to call in and "certify" your earnings every two weeks. When I tried calling today it was busy most of the day. How sad is that? And every time I tried, that's one minute against my phone minutes I've had to decrease. They tell me it will take 4 to 6 more weeks before I'll know if I even get unemployment and from what I learned today, they are sending files to other offices to help out because its so bad here in the QC and my file happens to be one that is going to be shipped off to another office.

It's not easy getting used to really cutting corners. I feel silly not answering my phone and waiting to listen to the messages until after 7:00pm but that's what the economy is coming to; having to track your phone minutes, worrying about how to pay for much needed prescriptions, making your grocery list consist of milk, bread and peanut butter and jelly. You wonder if coffee is even a necessity.

But I have to say I am blessed with great friends and family. I've had my daughter and two former boyfriends all offer me a roof over my head. Friends who have offered to help me if I needed anything. I am grateful, but I know there are people who are in the same situation as myself and they have nobody to turn to. I am counting my blessings and am sad for those who have no where to turn. I envision whats going to become of many of them, and the homelessness everywhere is going to increase. Its unbearable to think about it and to think; "it could be me".

Peace
Liz