Well, I am now once again among the huddled masses of the unemployed.
Thursday afternoon I was sitting listlessly at my desk at work like usual, wishing I was somewhere else, when the security guards came up and escorted some woman I didn't know out of the building. When my co-worker Kyle finally showed up (late, as usual), I informed him that it was going to be "one of those days."
Half an hour later, my supervisor came to my desk and asked me to come with him. We went to a secluded part of the second floor, and I was surprised to see the general office manager sitting with the HR representatives. She explained the situation (of which I was not ignorant – this was the third round of layoffs) and that my position was dissolved and that I needed to let them know how I wanted my health insurance handled (I could extend it for a month if I wished). They told me to not touch my computer and to pack up my things and that the security guard would escort me out (which caused a little trouble as I had installed and optical mouse that I had purchased with my own money to replace the substandard Hewlett-Packard ball mouse).
After turning in my badge and walking out I expected to be upset, but I wasn't. In truth it felt good to be emancipated from that hellhole. I'll miss my co-workers, to be sure (though I wasn't the only one let go of that day) but I won't miss the mindless drudgery and the near-total lack of competence that the employees of HSBC/Beneficial display on an hourly basis.
Though I am at a loss as to what to do now, I'm not worried quite yet. I'm eligible to collect unemployment insurance for a while, and I've already notified several temp agencies that I am again a free agent. I might also be able to go back to school, but I'd have to take out more loans to do it, which means more debt (I would try to take out more than last time, so that I wouldn't have to be so reliant on finding work). I'm not sure that's the answer though.
Now might be the opportunity to finally try to get something accomplished. I'm strongly considering finishing some of the stories that I've written, and maybe getting an opus or two finally down on paper. A few of my instructors seemed to think that I could make it on my own, but I don't know. It's a risky gamble, but one that I'm seriously considering.
This could either be the worst or one of the best things that could have happened to me. We shall see.
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