~ Things are looking up. ~ Photo by Patsy
My dear friend, Patsy, has had a tough year. I guess you could say we've been very lucky through our 38 year friendship. Whenever one of us has gone through a difficult time, the other has been the rock, but this past year has found us both in the midst of a true endurance test. Dad fell and needed round the clock care, and Patsy found herself without a job. Her company had a sweeping lay off, and before she could say swish swish, she found herself swept out the door. We were soon to learn that neither of these challenging situations in our lives would be easily remedied.
Patsy found very quickly in her job search that discrimination is rampant. Age discrimination, which is probably the most subtle and difficult to detect of all types of discrimination, is alive and kicking. It stalks everyone, men and women of all races; it's even out there, looming in the future of the young.
She had a plethora of experience and wonderful references, but soon found herself looking at jobs with far less cachet and far less pay, jobs she could do in her sleep.....and she was, inexplicably, getting rejected. She did what she had to do. She accepted a temp job, without benefits, to make those proverbial ends meet, which they never quite did.
A couple of days ago she finally found a job. More importantly, a job that has medical benefits, will pay all the bills, and leave a little left over for fun. Can you hear that sigh? It sounds like a balloon flying around the room when the air is finally released. Ahhhh! Relief.
I see a mammogram in your future, Patsy. Oh, and lets not forget - that colonoscopy. Does the fun ever stop?
Yippee! Congrats, Patsy! I luv ya!
