Well, I have joined the rest of the unemployed minions that are multiplying throughout the US.  Last week, I woke up everyday at 6:30am to get me and my two girls out the door.  One to daycare, one to Kindergarten and me off to the office.  It was like the proverbial punch in the gut when everything sunk in. 

I started the work day off on a busy note that hummed through the afternoon.  Attended an Operations meeting at 2:45pm which confimed that there would be a need for some layoffs.  We sweated for over an hour waiting to hear our fate.  I was one of the first to go.  Considered a part-timer at 35 hours, it was only a matter of time.  By 5:10pm, my desk was packed up and I was walking out of the building in a daze.  Thirteen of us were let go.  A father of newborn twins, a college student, an empty-nester, an aspiring writer…the last one is me. 

All those excuses for not having time to write are out the window.  I attended my writing class the same night that I was laid off.  My head was still spinning and I needed to stop for a moment and focus on something positive instead of thinking about when our family health benefits were going to run out.  True to the nature of my group of colleagues and friends, they rallied around me. 

“This is the best thing that could have happened to you!”

“I’m so excited for you!”

“You are going to be the first one of us to get published!  I can feel it!”

It has officially been a week since the layoff.  I have done a lot of laundry, dishes and organizing of our basement office.  I have not done a ton of writing.  Ok, so I’ve published an article or two for Examiner.com, but does that count towards my bigger goals?  Maybe?  I guess I had to ask the question…”Am I writing SOMETHING?”  The response is yes.  Have I picked up with my YA novel?  Nope.  Have I written the assigned story for writing class?  Nada.  Have I Twittered, LinkedIn’d and Facebooked trying to increase my connections?  Yup.  I’ve created a new list of agents to query for my picture book.  I’ve even outlined a story idea for NaNoWriMo.  Yeah!

I’ve found that being unemployed garners as much unwanted advice and attention as does being pregnant or getting a hideous haircut.  You have to take the good with the bad and appreciate the intentions that come with.  I AM ok for everyone that has asked.  In fact, I’m better than ok.  I have a plan…ok, lots of plans.

I’m confident that my unemployment will not last long.  I refuse to stay in my jammies all day, clicking through OnDemand movies.  (Ok, I did that for one day)  I promise to finish what I have started…especially my young adult novel.  I look forward to a new journey.  I appreciate that my supportive hubby is keeping his “I’m freakin out over here!” feelings to a dull roar, allowing me to navigate these waters at my pace. 

For someone who has only ever taken time off of work through two maternity leaves, it is very strange to work on my own schedule…punch my own clock.  I’m tweaking it everyday and finding what works and what doesn’t.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason…including this.