I lost another friend

As someone who used to do it, people around here can get personal when they’re mad. I wouldn’t feel comfortable opening up around here.

 

But people do, and this thread is a perfect example of opening up.

I like to think of sj as a community, and sure there are a few warts, but for the most part there are good people here.

sp, I keep emphasizing taking small, first steps. Consider what you’ve done here at sj your first effort at getting into a group, and that’s succeeding. So what you are really now doing is looking for a SECOND group. That’s a positive spin on it.

 

Good for you. Am I required to feel the same way? Only one opinion allowed?

 

Not at all. Differ away.

 

Guys.

SP needs to find a real group of humans with faces and voices. It's not a debate.

 

Situps/pushups during a time of anger is excellent advice.
I've mentioned this before, but boxing is wonderful for body, mind and soul.

 

Still trying to find a group. I called the hospice VNA that took care of my mother. The only group they have is for spouses over 65. That's obviously not me.

The inability to find a decent job (one where I could use the skills I have and make a decent living) is really discouraging.

Maybe I just need to accept that I'm going to be working bottom-of-the-food-chain jobs for the rest of my life and learn to be at peace with it. I don't think I can do that, however.

Looking at a life of just scraping to get by and being homeless at some point, I just don't think I can be at peace with it. If that's the rest of my life then I think at some point, I'm going to check into a hotel and the next morning a cleaning lady will find my body.

 

Dude, why are you so hung up on doing what you are trained to do?

I’m sure there is other stuff you can do very well. Broaden the search. The job is out there. You just have not found it yet.

 

With the caveat that I know nothing about this organization except that it came up in a google search, try plugging in your zip code on GriefShare - Grief Recovery Support Groups - GriefShare and see if there are any groups in your area. Also, there are Meetup grief support groups, too. Check We are what we do.

 

Take it from one of the people who left the business completely. There are plenty of skills we use in journalism that translate to other fields.

More to the point: As journalists, we have to learn to take new concepts, learn them, and then explain them to a lay audience and we have to do it on deadline. That's a valuable skill set you can apply to just about any field.

 

When I was in my mid-thirties I became very dissatisfied with my career choices. I was very serious about going back to school and pursuing some sort of medical/technical career, but I had no particular field in mind. My wife talked me into doing career counseling through the UAB admissions office. Basically they put me through three tests which assessed what areas I was strong or weak in, where my areas of interest or lack of interest were, and a general range of attitudes ("would you rather work with your hands or use a computer", etc). Then they ran me through the answer grid and pointed out possible areas of employment where my strengths, interests, and attitudes all were in alignment. One of the suggestions was medical technical, specifically x-ray or respiratory therapy, something on that order.

I was very reluctant to mess with this, but after it was over (or more accurately as I was going through it) I realized that it was very helpful. In broad strokes it did away with some areas while encouraging others, and the conclusions reached by the testing felt very correct to me. I found the guidance very helpful and reassuring. You might keep an open mind and try it, worst that happens is that you don't find it helpful.

 

plug 'grief counseling' and your zipcode into Google.

what skills do you have/what are you trained to do?