2015...the good, the bad, and the ugly

Unfortunately, 2015 has more bad and ugly in it and less good. It has not been a good year for me, but that's the cycle of life. You take the bad with the good. Hopefully, along the way, lessons are learned. If anything, you learn to persevere. 

The bad:

• 2015 started promising enough with a new job as a technical support representative at a call center. I have heard dreadful things about call centers, such as: stressful, low paying, no job security, it's a revolving door of employees. It's described as "the sweatshops of the office world". Yet, I thought how bad can it be? Well, the first call I took the customer swore at me and she also said I was working for a horrible company and that I should quit and find something else. It turns out she was right. Getting verbally abused by pissed off customers over the phone is not for me. I quickly left the job. This same call center company has called me several times over the summer trying to interview me for other call center positions, I turned them down. 

• Saturday, February 7, 2015 was the worst day of the year for me. It was the day I had to put my beloved dog to sleep.  Crystal was 18 years old and old age was catching up to her. She sometimes had accidents in the house. She would walk into walls and bump her head, but she still loved her food, going outside for walks, and her naps. My dog always slept with me on my bed, but the day before she had an accident on my bed, so I put her in her dog bed to sleep for the night. The next morning, I woke up to the sound of something shaking on the floor. My dog was having a seizure and shaking uncontrollably. The shaking eventually stopped and she urinated on the floor. She also could not stand on her hind legs. I knew right away that it wasn't good. I immediately took her to the vet and he confirmed what I had known all along, that the kindest thing I could for her was to put her to sleep. I cried for weeks. People that don't have pets, don't understand. They really do become like your children. RIP Crystal. She was a sweet dog.

Puppy Crystal

Puppy Crystal with my nephew Andrew

Crystal at a Halloween party

• Not getting any suitable job offers, in spite of going back to school (waste of time and money). I honestly think there is a bias against former Kodak employees and, of course, ageism is alive and well, although nobody will admit it. I wish I was in a position to retire, but I can't. I still need to work. If I don't find something soon, I will have no choice but to leave Rochester and move elsewhere where there's jobs. They are certainly not in Rochester, NY. It's ridiculous to be unemployed this long after all my experience.

• Bally's Total Fitness, a gym that I was a member of for 20 years, suddenly closed. I didn't have a gym to go to. Luckily, I found World Gym and signed up.

The ugly:

• The general ugliness of people on the internet. It seems I can't express an opinion without people attacking me and calling me every name in the book. The internet is full of bullies, stalkers, trolls and total strangers making inappropriate sexual comments. Why does the internet bring out the worst in people? I have no idea.

• Financial concerns.

The good:

• We finally sold my parent's house. Hallelujah! 
• I have read some excellent books this year, which I have thoroughly enjoyed reading. They are: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, The House of Mirth, Winter's Tale, Astor Place Vintage, Wild, and currently reading, The Secret Life of Bees.
• I've rediscovered old friends and acquaintances. You know who you are.
• I have learned to be thrifty and look for good deals.
• For brief moments, I have felt like I don't want or need anything other than what I already have.
• I started posting more on Facebook.
• Zumba classes.
• Good health and not getting sick.
• A roof over my head.
• A family member who I can rely on for help if I need it.
• The courage and self-reliance to get through a bad year.

Goodbye 2015. Let's hope 2016 is a better year for everyone.

Happy New Year!