I'm 56-years-old and my parents recently sent me a check for 1,000.00 because times are tough. On the first of the month, I had to close my studio and little retail store that I've had since 1996, the pride and joy of life.
Financially, it was an easy decision. Business as all but stopped. Emotionally, it was very difficult since my customers and clients are my friends.
I live in a wealthy tourist town on the shores of Lake Michigan. Now, I'm not making this up, but several summers ago while talking to my father on the phone during what should have been a busy day, I told him point blank, "I don't know what a Depression looks like, but that's what I see when I look down the street. No one is here."
He attributed it to the bad Michigan economy. Really, it was just the beginning. Small towns are the economic canaries in the coal mine.
Usually, one makes enough in the summer to get through the winter. That's how we all survive. That has stopped. Small shops and studios come and go in tourist towns, but what we are seeing are established businesses such as mine folding up.
For the past few years, my parents have funneled me money. At first I felt bad taking it. But I think we all just figured things would get better. They haven't and I expect it to get worse next year, especially for tourism. They actually want me to move back home.
I'm several thousand behind in back rent. At my age, try finding a job, even a part-time job. I taught school for twenty years, but no school will touch me because I'm too experienced and expensive. They could hire two for what they would have to pay me. Of all the schools I've contacted, not one has even bothered to respond.
Because I was self-employed, forget unemployment benefits.
Now back to that check my parents sent me. I put it in the bank with the intention to catch up on half my rent. Then I get a letter from the bank. The IRS put a levy on my bank account for some back taxes! Was it tens of thousands of dollars? Nope, a mere $1300.00. There goes the rent and my parents hard-earned money.
All I can say is that if the government is going after small potatoes like me, the country is in worse shape than we know. I find myself getting cynical at all these bailouts for the wealthy.
Still, I'm one of the lucky ones and get a full teaching pension in four years. I just hope I can hold out that long.
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Good Luck; glad your parents are there for you.
Yes, I sell a line of soap over the internet, www.cottagesoaps.com. Right now, it's keeping food on my table.
I know what you mean about having to work for someone after being your own boss. I shudder at the thought of it!
Normally when the economy is bad, I can leave retail behind and kick gear into art. One big-ticket item beats selling a zillion little things. But this economy is so bad, it's affecting all sectors, including the wealthy who normally buy art. I just cut the price of my paintings in half (killed me) and finally sold one. She may come back for another. I'm using the time to write a novel and it's about half done. My sister lives on Lake Norman in NC and her husband has a biz in Charlotte that is going down the tubes fast.
Recently, there was talk that things here were starting to look up. A Polish company opened a plant here. They chose Danville because its cheaper to make stuff in America than in Poland. Cheaper here than in Poland! Can you believe that? It means that people are more hungry here than in Poland.
Things are hard and they're going to get harder.
Something's happened in America, and I don't know if anyone knows how to fix it.
I honestly have mixed emotion about your story. You had me achy hearted and feeling your pain, until, you revealed that you cannot get a teaching job because you are "overqualified"?????? Woah. Somebody tell me I live on a different planet. Can you understand how taking such a position or stance against taking a job of any kind because it's below you, fully negates the sympathy you seek in the first part of your story. I am sorry,maam, this offends me.
I am your age. I am unable to teach or take a "regular" job because I am partially disabled. If not for a loving companion, I would be on the street. Disability doesn't pay me even what your folks sent you. I have a college degree, but in the wrong thing, Liberal Arts. Should have taken some education classes, I guess. Then I might have a full pension coming, too. Yes, I am seeking at home employment, by force.
I wish you luck with whatever you do.
Put away that glass of wine while you read OS stories. You misread my article. Nowhere did I say I refused an offered job because it was beneath me and I thought I was overqualified for it. It's schools who will not hire experienced older teachers. No, you are not living on another planet, you are living in the USA where that is the reality. In fact, many school systems actively harass their older teachers in the hopes they quit or retire early. This is exacerbated by state budget cuts and diminishing resources. I've sent out dozens of resumes and applications, never, ever to hear from any of them. And I was an award-winning teacher!
I thought I was a shoe-in at my local grocery store as a stock "boy." Never heard from them after I filled out the application. I'm a strong believer in the dignity of any kind of work.
P.S. I wasn't looking for any kind of "sympathy." The problems of our country right now are beyond that, as sad as some stories out there may be. We are approaching emergency mode, one reason the IRS is raiding the dwindling bank accounts of people like me.
I am doing something else on the side until things improve, but there is money to be had on a part-time basis in the school system. Will still leave you time to do art to get ready for the recovery...
I ordered some soaps from your website after reading this. It's not much, but I hope it helps.
To just share a couple of thoughts---
1. Your town is one of the true jewels of the midwest. And the fact that the life is being sucked out of it is simply sad. Period.
2. Listening to your story across the distance of the internet and the Big Lake we share---I'm struck by the opposing thoughts of JOBS and NEEDS.
As you describe your store/business---I do NOT get a sense of JOB. It's closer to joy! You were doing what good retailers do---you were answering and filling needs. You'd be able to specify what that meant much better than me or anyone reading this. There was probably all sorts of very specific inventory turns, marketing, merchandising etc etc things you did. But if you were to look down on your business from 100 feet up in the sky---the reason your business thrived is that you were filling needs.
But everything changes when you talk about JOBS. What's missing is that sense of joy that comes from filling needs. You are totally right in explaining the fact that your experience is a disadvantage in getting a job. Most people don't get that---and you do a service by putting it out there. (BTW---on the tactical level--one thing that I'm always careful to do is only go back 10 years on a resume. I also regularly "dumb myself down"---ie--where in reality my title was Senior Vice President of Training and Customer Service---I often put "Manager" on the resume----but that's not really the point of this note)
The point is this: there are no jobs. But there are NEEDS. You have filled them before. So the question becomes---how can you fill them again?
Maybe they will be different needs.
But the needs aren't gone. Only the jobs.
If you were to allow yourself the time to think about filling NEEDS---and forget about JOBS (especially ones that don't exist)
Where do those thoughts take you?
In the meantime, hang in there and the best of luck.