I lost another friend

In at will states, an employer can fire an employee for any non-discriminatory reason or for no reason.

"You consistently violated dress code."

"You didn't smile at my daughter."

"I don't like blond highlights in your hair."

You can't fire someone for discriminatory reasons.

"You didn't tell me you were looking to have children."

IN SOME STATES, but not in many others:

"You didn't tell me you were marrying a man [or a woman]."

Suing for wrongful termination is going to be difficult unless you can prove your case. That means documenting everything.

 

But documenting your side is likely not enough, you need some corroboration from someone else, a co-worker or if you're somehow lucky, the employer. Otherwise, its he said, she said, and those are not good odds.

 

Here you go:

 

Ha!

 

I went to my first Grief Share meeting last night.

Everyone seemed nice and welcoming. As could be expected of something that a pastor runs and a church hosts, it's very religious. I'm not but that's ok.

I'm drowning and they threw me a rope. That's all that matters.

 

Great! Happy for you. Keep it up; remember the good feeling.

 

I don’t recommend a mental breakdown (mine came at 22, which to quote David Foster Wallace “did not augur well for my longevity”) , but once you’ve stared it down it can provide a vantage point from where you realize the expectations and burdens that once felt so crushing really probably don’t immediately exist.

It is possible for a time to live this life, especially in a place like the US where your everyday existence is not threatened by a warlord, free from the expectations we’re conditioned to try to meet.

If you contemplated ending this life, every moment after you didn’t do it is bonus time. You are free to move about this world in search of beauty and comfort and happiness until you are strong again.

Eventually you’ll have to re-enter the rat race that is life (sorry! My sojourn through happyland lasted four years before I got back in the saddle), but to get out of the hole, that weightless, consequenceless place is where I, at least, found hope.

 

My shift at the driving job has been cancelled four out of the last five times.

 

Today I visited my brother's for my Godson's birthday party.

I told him about all of the shifts from my job getting cancelled in the last two weeks. I've only worked three days in the last two weeks.

He said I need something more stable. I'm well aware of that. I'm not sure he thinks I am or if he thinks I'm not trying. Hardly a day goes by when I do not apply for a job. It's not like I'm just sitting at home waiting for a job to appear out of thin air.

He suggested calling that family friend again. I don't think he'd want to work with me again. I sent the guy an email last week. I told him I didn't understand that exercise of putting a dollar value on different skills and interests. I have no real frame of reference for that and it seems so abstract.

I also told him I didn't care for being interrupted when I speak. If someone won't listen to me, why should I listen to him?

Maybe I'm unemployable. If I am, I'm not sure if I want to keep on living.

 

Have you ever been on meds? I apologize if you have mentioned that before.

Have you thought about applying at daycares? You seem to like children. Maybe that’s the fit?

 

Pretty much every male in my family suffers from depression. So, speaking from experience: If you're not seeing a medical professional, please do. It really, really helps.