Found out yesterday that our company is doing a 5% pay reduction nationwide. We will now have 15 days off instead of 20. On the plus side, we are required to take one paid day off a month that's NOT a PTO day. Hey, I'm bribe-able!
I haven't yet heard from the doctor about when the surgery will be, but I definitely want to get this done before anything happens to our health benefits!
I heard a piece on NPR where people can call in with Hard Times stories. One woman mentioned that at a McDonalds drive through, when she asked for Splenda, they gave it to her and then asked for the sugar packets back.
Despite all the stress at work, I'm definitely grateful to have a job right now. This is all feeling very scary. In college, we read a book by Studs Terkel called Hard Times. He interviewed Depression-era survivors and it all sounded so fictional. That was a generation that already knew how to live within their means, that didn't like to accept charity, that knew how to work with their hands. Our generation has no such advantages! We're having to start from scratch. Not that it's a bad thing, but it certainly seems like it will be a challenge. "May you be born in interesting times", indeed.
3 comments:
Our local newspaper did a Sunday front-page feature on people who lived during the Depression. It was facinating. If I can find it, I'll post it on my blog.
You are right in that former generations knew how to work with their hands and do things most of us cannot do today. May sound weird, but it's part of why I want to grow a garden and learn how to can and sew this year.
Sorry about the paycut. I'm right there with you. These time are scary. A silver lining I've seen in the black cloud of tough times is people drawing together to help each other out. I feel like there's more compassion out there right now because we're all feeling the crunch.
Hope the surgery gets scheduled soon!
I am a bit frightened... my current job has excellent job security and great benefits so if I were to leave it voluntarily... ahhh! And definitely frightened for my sister whose manager can only guarantee security until June. These are hard times... I keep thinking it's not that bad and then something else breaks. Sigh.
Post a Comment