The Agony Column

What horrible news.
As others have said; it is contemptible when companies treat loyal employees in such a disposable way.

I hope that your next move is more rewarding and that the people you work with show more appreciation for your efforts.
 
Despair not, Phil, for I come bearing good news!

A senior management position has recently opened up in the Quine Organization. The successful applicant must demonstrate an aptitude for punning, clowning and quirking. An extremely comprehensive medical plan is provided for all employees. In Q. Org., working hours are irregular--or rather, indefinate--and redundancies are unknown. As the inhouse doctors of the Quine Organization often counsel their new recruits: "However much you may believe otherwise, nothing in this world is unendurable--nothing."

Best of luck, GSC.

 
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I am sorry to hear of your situation. I too have recently been "separated" from my job but it was only less than three years being there. I'm trying to look at the bright side, i.e. having more time to read, enjoy the family, etc.. but money is always a concern. I'm sure it was all meant for a reason and we'll both be better off.... best of luck Phil!

G. S. Carnivals said:
This morning I was informed that my position at work has been terminated I am now happily unemployed. Over the last year or so the religious nonprofit organization I worked for became more secular (and less benevolent) with the addition of a Human Resources person. My job has been deemed unnecessary as the office I work for is due for "structural changes" in the near future. At least I now have more time for beer and Quirk Classics! :drunk:, :eek:, :eek:, and :eek:!

P.S. I worked there over 28 years!
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Very sorry to hear that, GSS and Justin. These are ugly times for employees, with the threat of joblessness used to bully and coerce those still on the payroll. Best of luck as regards finding gainful and worthwhile future work.
 
Sorry to hear this, GSC. I hope you will manage to find another job soon.

I myself have resigned from my company a month ago due to the amount of pressure and unreasonable demands from the superiors that kept me working over 12 h a day and over weekends. This is the first week I'm unemployed in 4 years and the first one in 2 years when I finally have a spare moment to relax, sit down and read a book. Having at last some time for hobbies is great, but on the other hand I do hope this situation will not last too long...
 
Please forgive my reviving such a long-dead thread, but I could do with a suitably anonymous forum in which to vent.

So, in the last three weeks:
  • My mother has suffered a stroke, from which she is recovering..
  • My father has been hit a car, from which he is recovering.
  • My dog has been sick for the first time in his life, suffering from an illness which continues to linger.
  • I have started a new full-time job, which has been great but is requiring a lot of training in addition to regular working hours.
  • I've been desperately fitting the last stages of my Art History degree work into the little spare time I have.
  • I've suffered a dental emergency which I'm yet to receive treatment for.
  • I've fallen in love with a co-worker, who is, of course, already in a relationship. I'm 32 years old and this is only the second time I've ever been in love in my entire life; the previous time being with my ex-fiancé. Thus, sleepless nights and diminished appetite is further sapping my reserves.
  • And...I've been dealing with the worst bout of depression I've suffered in at least five years.

I am ******* exhausted.
 
To: In A Dark Light

My Friend, I'm very sorry to hear that so many stressful things are happening to you all at once! Any of these pressures could be extremely disheartening or painful, but in single doses sometimes we can focus and persevere, or at least follow whatever Plan and wait things out to the end.

But when so many are happening all at once? That just seems guaranteed to cause spinning around in place and no Plan of action could ever anticipate all these.

There have been times in my own life when multiple things seem to be crashing down all at once. In those times, life can be bitter; losing two beloved dogs, one after the other, was especially heartbreaking and that made my concurrent professional challenges seem worse.

I wish I had some gems of wisdom to share, but sadly I look back at those times as very dark periods, including some notable failures. Wisdom came later perhaps, but it was generally the wisdom of acceptance rather than something with greater agency.

I imagine that some of us have experienced similar difficulties or at least our own version of uncertainty and disintegrating circumstances. In whatever way that I or any of us can be of help, please let us know.

Hopefully knowing that this community exists here and that you are part of it provides some comfort, even if only in the abstract, or in the background to the events of your own life.
................

The Riddler: "I'm giving you a chance; no one ever gave me a chance... Now, ever since I was a child, I've always loved little puzzles... For me, they are a retreat from the horrors of our world. Maybe they can bring some comfort to you too."
 
In A Dark Light,
That is certainly a lot to deal with. One thing I would advise, if your dental problem is pain-related, take care of it ASAP; otherwise, the pain will overwhelm you and you won't be able to think straight and figure out how best to deal with the other issues.
 
self care is a priority, especially for a carer

It seems that everyone needs you, so put yourself first and be well for them.

agree with bendk
 
In a Dark Light: I'm wishing you (and your parents, and your dog) the absolute best, whatever that is and for whatever that's worth. When such events arise, along with the accompanying painful personal/subjective experience of them, it's usually grating and unhelpful for someone to say something like, "The separate 'you' that suffers is a mistaken assumption. Everything is an impersonal (or suprapersonal) Happening, including the sense of being a separate individual that suffers." And yet, you know, it's true.

Returning to base, to ground zero, at such times has tended to help on this end, anyway. That is, to help "me."

I'll be holding you and your circumstances in compassionate contemplation for the rest of the day.

Edit and PS: I second what bendk and Acutely decayed said.
 
Gnosticangel, bendk, Acutely decayed and Matt Cardin, thank you so much for your kind words. My main reason for posting was simply to vent in a suitably anonymous place, in the background as Gnosticangel so accurately put it, but reading your replies has touched me deeply. Thank you!

bendk - I did indeed seek treatment today. I'm based in Britain so the NHS dentist was able to apply a temporary measure to alleviate the problem for a short time, but I have had to arrange to go private in order to get the problem fixed more quickly. It was likely to take over three months to wait for further treatment on the NHS which would have been far too long. It's going to cost upwards of £650 to go private, but I'd sooner do that and get it done asap than leave it to linger any longer.
 
matt cardin said:
In a Dark Light: I'm wishing you (and your parents, and your dog) the absolute best, whatever that is and for whatever that's worth. When such events arise, along with the accompanying painful personal/subjective experience of them, it's usually grating and unhelpful for someone to say something like, "The separate 'you' that suffers is a mistaken assumption. Everything is an impersonal (or suprapersonal) Happening, including the sense of being a separate individual that suffers." And yet, you know, it's true.
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The last time I suffered a depressive spell, I drew a lot of comfort from reading Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy. Your advice seems very much along those lines and I really do appreciate it. Of course, I didn't have all the many other things happening to me now to contend with back then, but I shall endeavour to keep your words in mind over the coming weeks. :)
 
Ignatius also drew comfort from Boethius. Another one to lift your spirits.

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