You've just been laid off, what are you going to do now?

I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND!!!!  Of course, by "Disneyland" I mean spending my days scouring craigslists for jobs, updating my resume and cover letter, getting frustrated with unemployment benefits, and spending endless nights awake with thoughts of "oh crap, I'm screwed."

Okay, let's back up here.  On November 16, 2010 I was laid off from the best job I have ever had.  I was a Marketing Guru Extraordinaire.  As many of us know, this economy has forced businesses to "cut the fat" and make some tough decisions.  Well, I was one of those decisions.  One of "those" people.  "The fat."  Just one of the numbers.  An effin' statistic.


It caught me completely off guard and I cried.  And cried.  And cried.  Which, for those of you that know me, understand how crazy that is.  I don't tend to cry.  Especially not in front of people. But it's hard not to when your work family has just abandoned you.

Okay, that sounds really dramatic.  Even for me.  But it is in part true - I feel like I have been broken up with without so much as an "it was fun knowing you, let's just be friends."  Instead I got a "you need to leave now so you don't bring the rest of the still employed down."  Ouch.

The hardest part of being laid off was telling my family and friends.  I feel/felt like a loser.  But thankfully my husband, family, and friends are all soooooo supportive and have nothing but words of encouragement for me.  I contacted a former boss of mine and told her the news.  She said "they are idiots.  YOU made work fun."  Let me tell you, that was the nugget of inspiration I needed to start my "moving on" phase.  She's damn right, I DO make work fun.  (Please excuse the size of my ego right there, I'm feeling a moment of self love - which these days are far and few between.)

So what to do now?  Hang on tight like the rest of the unemployed.  Oh, and have cathartic moments blogging about my unemploymentness.  And make up silly words like unemploymentness.

Thanks for listening.

Brooke