Unemployed - By Choice

So, it's been quite some time, but let me tell you - what a ride it has been. To recap, in December I was laid off by Fannie Mae due to our department being termed "unnecessary". After all, why is an equity Investor Relations department necessary when the U.S. government is your largest shareholder?

So anyway, it took me a bit of time to realize thaa I no longer was a "Fannie Mae'er" and I was rather upset by it...I still haven't taken my parking sticker off my windshield, but I digress...

So - December was recovery and dealing with home improvement stuff (new carpeting and tile in the upstairs region of our home and bathrooms), Christmas, travel to New York City and in general - relaxation.

January was about getting the word out that I was looking for a job. Things were moving upward and onward when I got offered a job in February - February 14th actually. It was a very good day for me...However, after the second interview I did with the guy, I should have listened to my gut...It never fails me.

So I went to work for a small "IRA - or Independent Registered Agent" - this is a guy who works for a life insurance company and is a sales man - of not just life and health insurance, but also annutities and financial management...Only the more commissions he can make, the happier he is. He also doesn't take his client's risk appetite into account which concerned me - but the worst thing of all is the way he talks about people.

He's a "good old boy." Small business is the only way he'll be able to make it - he can't work for a large institution because he can't manage others well at all. Everyone was "an a-hole", a "moron" or a "brainless wonder". Other words came into play, but this is a family friendly blog - or so I try to keep it that way...suffice to say, that last Monday (March 16th) he called me "stupid".

Now, I'm not stupid, and in my house, stupid is a bad word. Like wash your mouth out with soap kind of bad word. It's not kind and it's actually rather harsh - and to me, I kind of lost my temper - I know I scared him when I got up in his face and told him in no uncertain terms that "I was not stupid" and "no one ever called me stupid" - he apologized but it was not accepted. To me, that was almost the straw that broke the camels back...later that afternoon he called me stupid to one of his clients. That was the beginning of the end. After a great deal of insight, meditation and conferring with friends, family and recent colleagues, I determined that it was best to leave his employ "effective immediately". I did that this morning. He hung up the phone on me and then promptly called my colleague, with whom I was sharing office space, and called me a "fkin' btch" and that he knew that I was going to quit. So - I did a little happy dance right out the door.

So, now reality sets in and I've got to find a new job. I've got interviews set up - I hate interviews, but it's absolutely necessary.

So onward and upward I go! I did learn a great deal from this experience though. I do have self worth, I am good at what I do, and no job is worth being that unhappy for...Money, while necessary, does not make one happy...So for now, I'm happy - and poor...

All the best,

Amy