Unemployment Blues

Welcome to the world of unemployment. Or more accurately stated, "Welcome back."

I quietly left the Geauga County Maple Leaf of Chardon in 2014, after a 16-year run of "Thoughts At Large" which was a newspaper adventure inspired by the heroic "American Splendor" comics of the late Harvey Pekar. But my latest literal bout of having no daily routine arrived in recent weeks.

As a long-distance voyager in the world of retail management, I have regularly lost employment on an interval of between six and seven years. Each of these life readjustments has come as a result of a business closure or sale. Only once was I able to avoid the hatchet for eight years before being sent to the front door without recourse. So this most recent happening could not be termed a surprise.

Much like a fan of Cleveland sports, my aura of "deja vu" has remained persistent. I have truly been here before. In the aftermath, I have been given to introspection and self-assessment:

Age: 55
Work history: Over 33 years of industry experience, 30 years of management. 35 years of professional writing.
Health: Good, but my mobility is limited due to issues with my knees and left hip. Have been walking with a cane for about one year.

As in the past, I have readjusted my personal priorities to place greatest emphasis on finding some sort of full-time employment. But a new wrinkle has made this part of the adventure different from what went before. I have a dreadful suspicion that meaningful work of any kind may simply not be in my future. Overweight, middle aged, hobbling like an old mule - would I hire myself, given the opportunity? A question I choose not to ponder. Not now.

The search continues...