Everything's Gonna Be All Right

Well, it would appear I've stumbled unwillingly upon quite a bit of spare time. No sense in keeping it a secret. The more people who know about it, the more chances of someone coming through in the clutch for me.

So today -- yes, on April Fools Day -- I was laid off from my job. Got called in to the boss's office and heard the whole "you know about how hard we've been hit with our budgets lately, and we've got to make a few cuts, and I'm sorry to say you're one of the people we have to let go."

And there it is.

Obviously, this is not my first choice for how the next several weeks/months would go. I've got a few ways I can look at things.

1. I can lay in my bed, cry and lament over my poor fortune, thereby making myself miserable and just giving myself a bad headache. Sound like fun to you? Me neither.

OR

2. I can have a few drinks, relax for the next day or two and jump in with both feet with a good attitude.

So I say this: shit's going to be the exact same if I'm feeling sorry for myself in bed or if I'm smiling with a drink in my hand.

I choose having a good attitude. And you know, yes, I've been better; but I've also been worse. No one died. I don't have children in college. I don't have a mortgage. I'm not in my mid-50s trying for a career change.

I'm 26 years old. I have a bachelor's degree in political science, a minor in journalism and a master's degree in communication. I've got a couple years experience writing for newspapers, and I've got a year and a quarter of PR agency work.

Like I said, this is obviously not my first choice for a course of events. But dammit, being hopeful and optimistic is not a vice. Let there be no doubt, I have my faults. But I don't consider a positive attitude to be among them.

Listen, this sucks hardcore -- no doubt about it. But I can either whine and bitch about it, or I can see it as an opportunity to do something different. I've been let go from a job I was contemplating leaving in the next year anyway, and I can try something different now. The job market sucks, I get that. I'll be calling in favors with everyone I know to try to get something. We'll see what happens.

I know this: I'd rather be facing this situation with an upbeat attitude than with depression. In the meantime, I'll file for unemployment tomorrow, figure out a part-time solution to make ends meet, and we'll see how it goes.

In the words of the immortal Bob Marley, "Everything's gonna be all right."

-BG