When it's Time for Change

I've been working since I was 12, as soon as I could babysit, I was doing it. My family was low middle class, at least that's what I tell myself. I would babysit all summer, so that when school started I could buy my school clothes, mom bought my coat, and everything else was up to me.

I don't know how not to work, I have always had two and sometimes three jobs. Over the last 17 years, Henry has always been my second job, I took care of he and his wife until she died, and it was her dying wish to me that I take care of of him until he either died or wound up in a nursing home. About three weeks ago, he hemorrhaged and wound up in ICU they fed him four units of blood, and discharged him home, that night he fell out of bed and wound up back in the hospital, and now he is in the nursing home. He seems to think they're going to send him home after 30 days, but he'll be 97 in May, and I really hope they keep him. He's too old to live alone, he can hardly dress himself, and he's lonely. At least in the home he has companionship and someone to help him with his daily living needs at all times. He's better off there.

A week and a half ago, I quit my job. I would have been there 5 years in March, I made decent money there, I took on more responsibility than I should have, and I gave them all I had to give. They trusted me with everything, and when it snowed a foot overnight, rather than making sure I stayed safe, I was reprimanded for not putting chains on my car, walking to work, or riding the bus since I only live two miles away I had no excuse for not being there. I quickly realized my true value. I wrote a letter of resignation, and I walked to the office at 7:15 in the morning, in an ice storm, packed my desk, left my letter and walked home.

You may be thinking, a foot of snow, really, you quit because of a foot of snow? It was the last of many heavy straws that had been placed on my back. This is western Washington people for the most part are idiots here in the snow, we are never prepared, and we don't know how to drive, a foot of snow closes everything here, everything except the office where I worked.

So now for the first time in my life since I started babysitting at age 12 I don't have a job. I'm working on my aprons, so I guess technically, I'm self employed. I do have some really good prospects, I was offered a job last week, but it didn't pay enough. I have a phone interview today, and another interview with a different company on Friday. I'm waiting for the right job, not the first job, because now, I know my worth.