1 Year - 6/20 - 6/21

 Life can really suck.   Or ....

It is very, very, very, strange really.  It's June 2021 now.  At the end of June 2020, I was 'let go' officially from a new job that I thought was the best thing that had ever happened to me (work wise).  And then it ended - as quick as it started, with the Covid-19 virus and a corporate restructuring to cut costs, that ended my career.  It was literally OVER.  My career ended.  40 years in 'corporate America' - stone cold over.  How can that happen at just one single point in time?  I started my career, after college in January 1981 after graduation in California.  We moved to Texas - and I started a fabulous career in IT and Finance.  40 years.  When I think about it now - I guess it's pretty appropriate  - a nice round number of 40.  Some guys don't last this long - some don't live that long, but I thought I had 5-10 years left, and I wasn't ready to end it yet.  It caught me by surprise.  The world - and I - blamed it on the global epidemic.  But I think it was meant to be in my case - God's plan maybe (?).

Now, here I am.  I don't know for sure, but I think I have applied for over 100 jobs since then, in the past year.  I did spend 4 solid months working for Amazon, delivering (part time) packages from December 2020 to March 2021.  I delivered 10,000 packages in that time (I kept track).  I lost 20 pounds in the first 3 weeks and kept it off until the end.  I made $15 an hour (about 15% of my normal hourly rate during the past 20 years).  It kept me busy - and it was strangely 'fun' - but eventually I had to let it go (mainly because I couldn't tolerate the politics of Amazon - which never got down to my low lever of a delivery van, but still - the nightly news haunted me).    

So what now?  I don't know.  One day at a time.  I do know this - my Redeemer lives!  I'm gonna read Job again tomorrow morning at Starbucks - because just when I start wondering what is going on - I have to think of Job.  Has anyone ever asked you who you want to meet first when you get to heaven?  I say Job - I want to sit across the table with a cup of coffee (or, ok, a vodka tonic) with Job. 

Don't give up.  Fight for your survival.  Be a roaring lion and don't give up - the best is yet to come!

  Jack