In the aftermath of our golf shop closure and subsequent bankruptcy (see Our Business Failure.) Art and I were both shaken up. I felt humiliated by the failure and terrified of our uncertain future. Art became depressed because he could not find a job and felt that he should be able to provide for his family.
Thanks to my four years of on-the-job training doing books for the shop, I was able to garner two very part-time bookkeeping jobs. That, combined with our income from Ebay sales and money we had saved from Art’s Golf Etc. paycheck got us through the first 7 months. Much of that time is a blur to me of work, Ebay, Facebook, food and bed. I slept 8-10 hours a night and took 1-2 hour naps every day. Looking back, Art was probably not the only one who was depressed.
It’s two and a half years later now, and believe it or not, out of the ashes of depression and despair, some pretty wonderful things have happened. We have grown closer together as a couple and as a family. Art and I are available if our kids need us, even just to talk to – time we very rarely had during the golf shop years. Art tapped into his VA benefits and is going back to school in January to get a business degree. That combined with his real-world experience should make him a formidable competitor in the job market once he graduates. I discovered a new found confidence in my own abilities. I proved myself enough at one of my small jobs to turn it into an permanent part-time position where I feel like a valuable member of the team. And about two months ago I decided to pursue my love of writing and start actively cultivating my blog. I have the joy of expressing myself, as well as the knowledge that I have 6 loyal subscribers and over 36 views per day!!
In addition, thanks in great part to Facebook, we have rekindled some old friendships and sparked some new ones. The support of our friends and family is the main reason we are still surviving and have the courage to take our lives in different directions than we had planned. If you are one of those people, please know that there is no way I can ever express my gratitude enough. You are truly and deeply loved.
We’re still pretty precarious financially, but I think we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a good start.
Update 4/2/13: I now have over 300 loyal subscribers and over 100 views per day!! Art started school and we are contemplating a move to Oregon so he can continue pursuing his education goals.
Chills 🙂 Love this post 🙂