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“A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.”~~Elbert Hubbard
“So many tangles in life are ultimately hopeless that we have no appropriate sword other than laughter.”~~Gordon W. Allport
“There are no hopeless situations, only people who think hopelessly.”~~Windred Newman
"Once you choose hope, anything's possible."~~Christopher Reeve
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."~~Dale Carnegie
"I have learned two lessons in my life: first, there are no sufficient literary, psychological, or historical answers to human tragedy, only moral ones. Second, just as despair can come to one another only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings."~~Elie Wiesel |
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Observations from the unemployment line.
There is hopelessness. There is undying hope. Some people wear their unemployment like ragged clothing, with tears and jagged edges showing, with half tucking shirts of despair and unwashed faces of doom. Others, dress as if their promotion was just hiding around the corner, playing hide and seek: Olly olly oxen free...that job is MINE!
There is such desperation here as PHDs are turned away from jobs for teens 'because they are over-qualified and the jobs need to be kept for those who aren't qualified for anything else.' Heard that refrain myself. The limbo bar has been lowered to inches off the floor, but a job is a job and what was once considered below or beneath is now money, pure and simple. A janitorial job at an elementary school garnered thousands of applications.
A mother explaining to her well behaved and oh so bored toddler that, no, we can't get candy from the machine--we need every penny. The look on her face when a total stranger whispers the question if it would be okay to get that toddler a treat and which one.
The employed workers behind the counter who variously show disdain, caring, boredom and apathy for the stories they hear. The frantic young single mother who will shortly lose her hard fought for home and the fifty-ish gentleman with little hope of being hired because he is worth far more than the college kid with far less experience.
It is not a fun place. Fear pervades as oily hopelessness washes over ankles. Tempers flare and tears flow unabashed down wrinkled cheeks. There is little pride here as the lines lengthen and people slide down the wall to sit on the floor.
I live in an 'at will' state which means employers can fire one at their discretion. Fired people don't always qualify for unemployment. And in a day when layoffs are the norm, it is more cost effective for companies to fire rather than lay off. So after waiting for hours in the claustrophobic limbo of the unemployment line, I find I have been turned down. As do many others. Our eyes meet in companionable distress and we wonder what is next. What is the chance of fighting it, and gaining a reversal in an overwhelmed and rapidly depleted organization that cannot handle this many people. Every reversal is yet one more person to deal with; one more name on the books, one more check to be issued.
Yet there are moments of brilliance here as well. Two friends who haven't seen each other since high school eons ago spot each other across the room. For a few moments at least, cares are tossed aside in favor of reminiscing and catching up.
The unemployment line is the great leveler of souls. We are all the same here: united in desperation and determination. There is only the color of that money we don't have. There is only the race to see who shall emerge victorious. Regardless of the language used, the words are the same.
I talked to an attorney, a nurse, a lunch-line worker, a GM assembly line person, a teacher, a waitress, a county worker, a welder, a cashier. Time in on a job used to mean something. Seniority now has become a red flag.
I talked to a newly minted American citizen who spoke in passable English. She was scared, but determined. Did she regret coming to America? Not a bit. Still better than from where she came. Could I explain what this word meant?
'My English I not speak so good yet, but I am learning. The reading of it is more difficult.'
There is talk of politics and about a halfway split about the new president and how things are going. Everyone agrees it was a miserable situation for any new president to have to try to solve. Everyone thinks it will get worse before it gets better.
'We are a part of history,' one older woman says. My parents lived through the depression; we will get through this as well. One way or another.'
Yes, we will. Individually, collectively, we shall go on. Life is always constantly changing; at the moment these changes are simply far more obvious. And we shall evolve, revolve and learn to dance to new music.
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Puppycat  : I enjoyed this but I had to wonder - where are you? Grapples and blood oranges. I'm in Oklahoma and I never heard of either one.
I'm in Michigan, found them in your basic run-of-the-mill foodstore. *smile*
JudithJean France : Your writing was like a conversation. I like the part about grocery store. Yes, a slow stroll brings many surprises. Maybe you need to expand just on brands & hidden ingredients.
I may do just that!
weeowl flying free! : I enjoyed this newsletter. Especially #1. I too have noticed the change in the store experience. Great newsletter! Keep it coming!
thanking you!
Briar Rose : Great job, Fyn! I laughed at the kids happy outdoors and fighting indoors. I have been living that reality since December!
Happy to have made you smile!
fleckgirl: Fyn, I really enjoyed the newsletter this week, thinking about all your examples of observations at the grocery store (& wondering where you're finding all these neat new fruits I've never heard of!) but especially the list of collective nouns... Maybe it'll even spark a fire under the behind of my muse who's been speechless for months! Bigsmile I can hope anyway....
Thanks for sharing & hang in there on the job hunting...
So glad you enjoyed!
and speaking of which..
SmokeyMtn :Hi Fyn, I enjoyed your newsletter. Thought I'd add a couple to your list.
... if they are all male teenagers they would be more properly known as a hormone of adolecents.
Where I live in the Southeastern U.S., you often encounter on our roadways a draft of tailgaters.
Not only are Grapples outrageously priced, when sliced they smell like gym sox. I found the flavor to be only marginally artificial grape. Definitely not one of my favorites.
I especially enjoyed this newsletter since I work in a produce department and have made many similar observations.
Great ones!
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For Authors: March 11, 2009 Issue [#2937]
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