February 13th....

April 3, 2000 I started working for a non-profit organization in Dayton. You've heard of them - they preach about ethics and trust. They help consumers when they have a problem with a business, and they help businesses when they get caught up in a scam.

The work done there became a part of me. Investigating schemes and scams and helping people out of the jam they had gotten themselves into - working with Government officials to stop the bad guys - working with the other employees to help them with a computer problem or to talk to someone that wouldn't listen to them.

Helping people.

It became part of me.

And now I am a budget cut.

Yes, February 13th, 2008 the CEO and my boss, the COO, called me into an office to tell me my job had been eliminated. They are undergoing major financial problems and had to cut back.

I was one of two cutbacks.

Oh, I will get unemployment and they are paying me my 6 weeks of vacation I had accumulated. And, they are even giving me a whole 4 weeks severance pay. Half a week pay for year year I gave them.

Mighty big of them don't you think?

Angry? Yes, some. I worked at least 50 hrs a week. No one told me to but I did it to make sure work got done - even some work that wasn't mine to do. If anyone needed help I would help if possible. If someone needed me to talk to someone that wouldnt listen to them - I did it.

I felt needed. I felt as if I actually did some good in this ole world.

And now I am a 53 year old unemployed woman.

Jobs in this area, as in others, are hard to find. I really don't want to start over again and build my way up but will if I have to. My pay increased $10,000 a year in the 8 yrs I worked there and I really do not want to have to cut back that far again and scrimp and starve...survive.

I want to do more than just survive. And I will. I will do what it takes. If I have to start over again I will. I have started at the bottom before.

But I will miss it. I do already.