Living & Working in Great Places
Cool Mid Life ltimate Adventure Advice Sought
I would like to ask if any one out there has experienced what I will describe.
The “adventure” I am about to embark upon is a journey that is unusual in that typically the pilgrims on this voyage are alcoholics, drug addicts or mentally disturbed.
Some may claim I am mentally disturbed but as practicing painter and photographer, it is a kind and gentle way of being but I feel I am in complete control of my facilities.
In the interest of brevity, I will keep the story to simple facts and save the juicy stuff for a novel. Two years ago, my Long-term partner/girlfriend and I had what most would call the American dream. Each of us earned over six figures, received bonus’s and due to our children in school, we never felt wealthy. Perhaps we were more than comfortable.
We had a great-shared ski house in Whistler, are children were either out of college or soon to enter and doing well. Our jobs required skills and specific knowledge of technical processes. We saved some of our earnings; we had 401K retirement funds, we worked incredibly hard. I like working hard and always have.
Fast forward to unexpected death, a closing of my company, twins starting college and the bottom falling out of the real estate market followed by the stock market. I have experienced a few layoffs in my life. Prior to attending college, I learned a few trades such as Carpentry, painting, and drywall finishing. I do all very well. I assumed I would just get a few painting or carpentry jobs. This time was different. What was different?
The people in my area who usually have the homes requiring upkeep were crushed by the market crash. They were in trouble as serious as what I was wading into. There where shrinking construction opportunities with all my unemployed brethren fighting for scraps of work until the reality of the situation set in.
Ok, I have had a couple short-term consultant positions, since my long-term job evaporated, but the bills keep mounting and downsizing in a dropping market wasn’t working well. I collected unemployment for over a year with all the extensions.
I have borrowed, as much money as I was comfortable doing knowing repayment was questionable. I have explored family, friends done the networking route then government agencies as a last resort. I have hit the wall. No income, late rent, late car payments
Realizing I cannot continue like this and I now reach out to see if others have faced this before.
I am planning on getting my REI dome tent, store my belongings, bring enough supplies to paint, a couple of guitars, and my laptop and a big cooler? I don’t know what is really important. I have a cat who is my friend and partner. I don’t know what I can do with him as I love him.
My inclination is to point towards Jackson WY or Bozeman MT so at least I could ski after what? Instructing? Dishwashing? But OMG, its too cold!
I believe there is a growing group of educated, talented wonderful people who may feel discarded by our society. From watching the numbers of the unemployed grow and knowing that those who have expended benefits would or could be homeless.
This is the adventure I am embarking upon. Urban camping is not attractive. What are the real pioneers doing?
I never thought I would be in a situation like this.
When I was young, I didn’t have the bills and defaults that nag me, nor the family and friends who empathize but are so horrified by my situation (knowing it could be them with one bad stroke of luck) that I make them uncomfortable. I lived dirt poor in America as a young naive hippie renouncing my parents middle class values. I was the equivalent of a homeless person in 1970. I know how the downward spiral proceeds. I understand how appearances are so very very important to instill confidence in others.
I want to get some feed back. I need answers.
Please let me know as some times I wonder if when a normal person hits the skids due to no fault of their own, is that when one starts drinking?
I don’t want to…Are there options?
The “adventure” I am about to embark upon is a journey that is unusual in that typically the pilgrims on this voyage are alcoholics, drug addicts or mentally disturbed.
Some may claim I am mentally disturbed but as practicing painter and photographer, it is a kind and gentle way of being but I feel I am in complete control of my facilities.
In the interest of brevity, I will keep the story to simple facts and save the juicy stuff for a novel. Two years ago, my Long-term partner/girlfriend and I had what most would call the American dream. Each of us earned over six figures, received bonus’s and due to our children in school, we never felt wealthy. Perhaps we were more than comfortable.
We had a great-shared ski house in Whistler, are children were either out of college or soon to enter and doing well. Our jobs required skills and specific knowledge of technical processes. We saved some of our earnings; we had 401K retirement funds, we worked incredibly hard. I like working hard and always have.
Fast forward to unexpected death, a closing of my company, twins starting college and the bottom falling out of the real estate market followed by the stock market. I have experienced a few layoffs in my life. Prior to attending college, I learned a few trades such as Carpentry, painting, and drywall finishing. I do all very well. I assumed I would just get a few painting or carpentry jobs. This time was different. What was different?
The people in my area who usually have the homes requiring upkeep were crushed by the market crash. They were in trouble as serious as what I was wading into. There where shrinking construction opportunities with all my unemployed brethren fighting for scraps of work until the reality of the situation set in.
Ok, I have had a couple short-term consultant positions, since my long-term job evaporated, but the bills keep mounting and downsizing in a dropping market wasn’t working well. I collected unemployment for over a year with all the extensions.
I have borrowed, as much money as I was comfortable doing knowing repayment was questionable. I have explored family, friends done the networking route then government agencies as a last resort. I have hit the wall. No income, late rent, late car payments
Realizing I cannot continue like this and I now reach out to see if others have faced this before.
I am planning on getting my REI dome tent, store my belongings, bring enough supplies to paint, a couple of guitars, and my laptop and a big cooler? I don’t know what is really important. I have a cat who is my friend and partner. I don’t know what I can do with him as I love him.
My inclination is to point towards Jackson WY or Bozeman MT so at least I could ski after what? Instructing? Dishwashing? But OMG, its too cold!
I believe there is a growing group of educated, talented wonderful people who may feel discarded by our society. From watching the numbers of the unemployed grow and knowing that those who have expended benefits would or could be homeless.
This is the adventure I am embarking upon. Urban camping is not attractive. What are the real pioneers doing?
I never thought I would be in a situation like this.
When I was young, I didn’t have the bills and defaults that nag me, nor the family and friends who empathize but are so horrified by my situation (knowing it could be them with one bad stroke of luck) that I make them uncomfortable. I lived dirt poor in America as a young naive hippie renouncing my parents middle class values. I was the equivalent of a homeless person in 1970. I know how the downward spiral proceeds. I understand how appearances are so very very important to instill confidence in others.
I want to get some feed back. I need answers.
Please let me know as some times I wonder if when a normal person hits the skids due to no fault of their own, is that when one starts drinking?
I don’t want to…Are there options?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jeffrey Fallon -
Thanks man,
RV is an excellent option. I was lucky enough to work for a few days and came to some interesting observations about life and friendship.
I apologize for painting a self portrait as one at the edge of the abyss.
While living on the edge , because I know there is no underlying cosmic reason for any of our plight.
If Cool works " employers wouldnt hire me after a year that is their loss.
Bad credit? If I had gone into banlruptcy instead of holding on paying bills kids tuitions and mortagages w/ my savings and retirement maybe I might be a better potential employee.
Practicing Zen is a radical way to dealing with stress, however, It has allowed me to get out of bed every morning, put a smile on my face ,mentor at least three stuggling alcoholics and an addict, care for my elderly parents, keep my art /photoraphy studio (in the home ) producing,
.....
I feel my wake is still very positive in lieu of what has transpired in my life.
Maybe I should revisit the tenor of my question as I am confused as to the best way to proceed
Of course I have good references. I was a professional of long standing.
My clients, vendors , peers are all out of work as we knew it 1 year ago.
My industry has been driven out of state.
I am sorry , but I am offended by the ripple in the gutter comment, clean myself up, maybe I can summon the luck or fortune to be hired.
I am not a wino nor a dirty unskilled blogger
Hopfully not all employers are as judgemental hip shooters as... nah'
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Lewis -
A lot of people who wind up in desperate straits never thought they'd get there, and/or get there so fast. Things can fall apart in a big hurry. I mentioned disaster as a possibility simply because since it is a possibility, it's prudent to take all possible steps against it while you still can.
And 99.9999999999% of all potential employers ARE judgmental. That's how they hire. A personnel drone is going to give your personal information about a 90 second scan, if you're lucky. If anything like a long period of unemployment or a bad credit score leaps out at the drone, then your file goes into recycling. This will happen without any consideration of what a fine fellow you are, or how totally suited and qualified you are for the position. Usually, in today's economic climate, you never even hear back from the person who put you into the shredder. Remember--that drone is concerned first and foremost with CYA. If you have a black mark on your record, then the drone can always defend the decision not to hire you, but can be in hot water if you are hired and something goes amiss.
The sad fact is that these days, you need to provide a special reason for an employer to hire you, because you're competing with a foot-high stack of resumes. You need to discard any idea that you're going to be perceived as anything special--even as "a professional of long standing". There are currently tens of millions of professionals of long standing out there living off of unemployment benefits and food stamps. You have to view yourself as one of a pack of starving lions fighting to catch and devour a single deer.
It's not a matter of being "positive"--or of being "negative". Neither attitude changes by the tiniest bit what the REALITY is. There are millions of Americans--maybe tens of millions--who are going to die because of this economic disaster. Not just get sick, not just become homeless, but DIE. The worst, despite the false optimism from the White House, is yet to come. You won't be able to smile your way through it. Things will get MUCH worse--for you, for me, for everybody, and the ones who are best prepared will survive it. The most essential part of that preparation is being able to realistically assess the situation.
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