When hearing numbers like that, it's easy to think about how it's a terrible situation. But, like almost anything, it's not the same when it doesn't hit close to home. From what I've been reading so far, there hasn't been much of a personal perspective put on these job losses. So I was glad to see a piece in the latest New York magazine where seven people from all different industries talk about the day they got laid off and how it changed their lives. There was the guy who was at Citigroup for nine years whose boss told him it was a "reduction in force" as opposed to a layoff, and then there was the online editor whose ribbings from his family ("How's the vacation going?") were starting to really piss him off. For a couple of people, the layoffs were a good thing, a kick in the ass for them to start doing something different with their lives. I loved getting all these perspectives from people who had gone through something I went through a couple of months ago. It's always comforting to feel like you're not alone.
I'm one of the lucky ones—I found a job in my field within a month, and I genuinely like what I'm doing. But getting laid off from a job I loved left me wounded. For weeks I went through cycles of feeling worthless and direction-less and worried and sad. And it was hard explaining it to people who weren't going through the same thing because I feared sounding pathetic—and I really didn't want that.
It looks like it's going to be a tough year, and more people will lose their jobs and go through the anxiety of figuring out what to do next and how to pay the bills. I hope I see more stories like this New York one—sure, it's small comfort for those going through the mess of a layoff. But it is a comfort, and it reminds us to feel supportive and thankful and not so alone.
2 comments:
Erin - I wish you the best in your new job. I went through this in 1992 at the ripe old age of 48 with two young kids. However, the changes required, as uncomfortable as they were, led me into an area that was the most satisfying of my long working career. Keep the faith!
PS we share the relatively-rare name of Letson with my family ariving in the Southern colonies in 1700s and heading into the Appalachians. Relatives came out of the hills during WWII and have scattered over the world (I was born in Chicago).
Are you related to Canadian General Letson out of BC? He recently passed away but was a WWII-era Canadian GI and the 'Letson Trophy' is one of his legacies.
If you would like to communicate, drop me an EM sometime at dan.letson@gmail.com.
Thanks for your message Daniel!
I'm going to have to look into my family history a bit more, but I haven't heard anything about General Letson from my grandparents. But you never know...it is a rare name!
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