Hi, Es. I'm sorry about what's happened, and I wish you and your husband all the luck in the world. Bad times don't last forever, and every now and then, they lead to opportunities. I hope this little narrative I'm about to give you proves encouraging.
My story isn't about financial success (yet!), but it IS about a "negative" situation turning out to be something wonderful. I was laid off from my job -- a job I really liked and which would have paid enough to cover food, clothes and average rent -- a couple of months ago. It was a shock to everyone; on that dark Wednesday afternoon, the company's Grand Poobah just called twnety of us in for a meeting (there were only about 90-100 people working there), handed us envelopes, gave us some lame speech about "higher profitability" and "looking attractive to investors" and told us we were all out of a job. To make things even worse, this happened just one week before I was planning to FINALLY move out of my parents' house and into my very first apartment, which I had already picked out.
Well, shortly after the layoff the building where I would have been living burned down. Thankfully, I hadn't signed a lease! I also had a second choice... and that burned down within another week. Somehow, I got the feeling that my destiny might not be in Flint, but I had no idea how to move on, what to do, or even, in a lot of ways, exactly who I was. (I broght this up for a reason, but you'll have to be patient to see what it is. )
I spent a lot of time making new friends online and exploring my newfound lesbian identity: reading books, watching movies (GOOD movies, not porn :P), writing in my diary. I also spent a lot of time rediscovering my spiritual side, which I had started to lose touch with as of late, and even spent a month working out the details of my first novel. I've learned a lot about myself and feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin... but the story doesn't end there.
In two weeks, I'm moving to Ypsilanti. I realized a week ago that without my job in Flint, there's absolutely nothing keeping me here. I found a great roommate (a bisexual Wiccan -- who would've guessed?) with a house to share, and we'll be working out the details of my move tonight. No, I don't have a job secured yet, but I know I'll find one relatively soon. And Ann Arbor -- the REAL paradise that's practically right across the street from my new home -- doesn't seem to offer jobs that pay less than $7.50/hour. If I have to, I'll work two jobs, I don't care. I'll be out of my parents' house and living more-or-less where I've always wanted to.
So, what I thought was a disaster turned out to be my ticket to freedom. I just had to be aware of the opportunities around me. Maybe things will turn out just as well for you and your family.
Hugs,
*Rochelle. :)
P.S. I've also learned to trust my Tarot cards. So far, they've predicted the loss of my job (and its ultimately being a liberating experience), my time of creativity and introspection, my move to Ypsilanti (specifically, crossing water -- in this case, the Huron River -- to reach a better location and the start of a new phase of my life), and various other things that ended up happening. They also predict that I'll find a good job after my move, and that at some point in the not-too-distant future, I'll end up rich. Let's just hope the cards haven't decided to crap out on me NOW.
---------
"Most men complacently accept 'knowledge' as 'truth'. They are sheep, ruled by fear."
-- Sydney Losstarot, "Vagrant Story."
