Monday, January 26, 2009

We'll be fine.


So how are you?  I mean really?

We, I mean Hayden and I, we're fine.  We really are.  But I won't lie to you: we're not completely fine.

Until recently, the world's financial troubles were merely theory to us.  Due to, well, due mainly to apathy and procrastination, we didn't have much invested and we didn't lose much when the stock market went down.  We always said we'd invest ... later.  I actually felt pretty smug and safe cos we'd just chucked all our money in the bank.  And it was fine.

But we watched the news.  We had a feeling that things were going to change, and there were rumours going around at Hayden's work.  We thought they might announce some big changes on January 21 - the day of Obama's inauguration.   The company could prepare itself, knowing there would be a lot of attention on the goings on in Washington.  They could be pretty sure they would be the second story on the news that night.

So, last Wednesday, January 21, Hayden was called to a meeting.   The company announced their changes, and Hayden lost his job along with 102 of his colleagues.  In the same cut, our friends in Perth lost their jobs too when a whole mine was closed.  

But we'll be fine.  We'll be fine.  I keep saying it like a mantra, to myself mostly.  We'll have four or five months (longer if we're thrifty) in which to re-settle ourselves ... But we can't imagine where that might be.  In the meantime, Hayden's settling into a new routine and he's taken over my sewing table for his temporary home office.  And it is nice having him home with me during the day.

7 comments:

tunabake said...

Hi Naomi,
I am so sorry to hear your news. Being made redundant is awful (I've been there twice) especially as Hayden is the main salary earner.
I wish you all the best if finding a new place be it just work or a new place to settle yourselves. It may be the beginning of a new adventure.
All my love
Claire
xxx

Cathy {tinniegirl} said...

That is terrible news to read today. I am sending you all my good thoughts and wishes. It's true - you will be fine. Sometimes though it's hard when you don't know exactly what fine is going to look like. I hope you are OK.

Eileen said...

Gah. So sorry to hear. I can tell you what we did when we went through this (6 weeks after our wedding no less) we talked about how we would remember years later as one of those hard times that made our marriage better. Sure enough- now that's how I remember it now. Hang in there.

Naomi said...

Thank you all for such nice comments!!

It is a bit of a tough time and we don't know how long it will go on, but we'll get through. I know it!

Anonymous said...

Thinking of you both.

Drue said...

Hey,

Sorry to hear about Hayden's job. We've started having the cuts in my office. The whole of Dubai is shrinking in size. 1000's of people re-tenched at a time. 1000-1500 visas canceled a day. We're just waiting out turn.

Our back-up-plan is to hide in Laos for a year.. or I go back to Uni. Scary times.

I know what it's like to be made redundant.. but only in better economic times. Good to hear your money is in the bank. So is ours.. and people called me silly for not investing.

best of luck.. maybe you can move to Melbourne again!

lol

Naomi said...

Ooh, Laos. Good back-up plan! I would love to revisit there and check if it's still my favourite country in all the world.

Sounds like scary times in Dubai - good luck!! Maybe we'll all meet up back in Melbourne sooner than we think?