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Stardate: 20210922.16h24 | |
Location: SBUX | |
Input Device: Fujitsu P1610 UMPC | |
Audio: Bad SBUX tunage | |
Visual: SBUX table with UMPC next to trenta iced coffee with view of | |
the mountains in the background. | |
Emotional: Mild headache, meh | |
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I figured that I should write today since I have turned another | |
birth year. I should have died 30 years ago, but that did not | |
happen and I guess I have more work to do in this existence. | |
I am not too fond of birthdays and they weren't a big thing growing | |
up. My wife and my kids don't understand that, but that is ok. | |
When I do celebrate, it is for their sake not really mine. It is | |
just another point of time in my timeline. | |
A year ago this month, the 16th to be exact, I lost my job of 17 | |
years. I have had the luxury of being able to live off of my "shit | |
hits the fan" fund as well as the generous severance package from my | |
former employer. Well, the funds are finite and it feels like about | |
time to switch gears. If you do not have a "shit hits the fan" fund, | |
I highly recommended starting one, even if you can only afford to | |
contribute a few bucks a week. It is good to at least start | |
something. I know that I will be starting mine up again once I am | |
gainfully employed. | |
During this time of not working, I have been able to do so many | |
things that I was not able to do when I was employed. Stuff like | |
volunteer work and helping others, especially during these crazy | |
pandemic times. I have been able to provide my tech skills for free | |
to help out a local recovery center with their technological | |
challenges. I have also been able to provide support and guidance to | |
the people that go to this center. | |
More importantly, I have made myself more available to my family and | |
friends. Last October, I was able to help out my folks back in | |
Cleveland. They are elderly and have not been able to properly | |
maintain their house. I was able to spend time with them and also | |
reconnect with old friends. | |
My family at home has seen quite a bit of me and I have been able | |
spend much more quality time with them than in previous days. The | |
lockdown stuff kinda helped this along as well. We have family | |
meals together every evening and sometimes cook together. Our | |
mealtime discussions last much longer and each of us is more engaged | |
in the conversations. Previously, there was always a rush to just | |
finish our meals and get on with whatever evening activities that | |
preoccupied our minds during the meals. The kids are getting older | |
and will soon be out of the house. My eldest will be starting | |
college next year with my youngest following shortly after. I am | |
fortunate to have had these times to spend with them. | |
I guess why I am writing about this is just to reflect and be | |
grateful for how my unemploymency has unfolded. I could not have | |
even fathomed how this past year would have played out without | |
having a job or could I have even seen the opportunities that have | |
been given to me during this period of downtime. Funny thing is | |
that I did not really have any worries and just trusted that | |
everything would be ok. Even though I have not yet secured a job, | |
I still feel like everything will be ok and work out the way that it | |
should. It is a great day to be alive! | |
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