2009 not so good so far frankly…

2009 has so far presented itself as already a year I’d rather not dwell on, given we’re only just half way through February that isn’t so good but that is currently the long and the short of it.

As you know the beginning of the year was heralded with a sequence of tragic news, my Dad’s cousins passing (she was 94 and for that we should be grateful), a friend lost her brother very suddenly (same age approx as me), death of a young girl we knew (extremely sad), another friend’s tragedy with losing her sister and brother-in-law and her Mum injured in a house fire… and so it continued, and indeed continues to continue as another friend has lost his Dad in the last week only months after his Mum sadly passed away. All very sad.

The news has generally been rubbish, the recession/downturn/depression (whatever it now is), the Gaza conflict, blah blah blah, only good thing was the American election being over and Obama making good on some of his promises early. However I’m not sure on his economic recovery package, these injections of large capital into projects have only at best partially worked in the past but I think even the greatest minds are stumped at our ability to screw up an economic system which is surely by definition totally under human control yet singularly fails to appear so.

On a personal note obviously the news in the last week hasn’t been the best thing for me either. However there are others at my work who I have to look at and thank my lucky stars I’m not in their shoes, I don’t have any major debt, my payoff will be good, I get an assistance package in looking for new opportunities etc. etc. Much to be grateful for. There are others with big mortgages, limited to living close to our site which is really in an area with little similar employment chances. I live some 40miles away and that puts me firmly in “commuterville” for London. People with very young families etc. Some old colleagues who have climbed the greasy pole in our company have relocated to the USA now some of those do not yet have their “green cards” so they have only 4-6weeks to get out of USA back to the UK before they are deported. They have partners, kids at school, houses to sell in the appalling USA market. I’m very glad when the opportunity to head for the USA was in front of me I made the decision to turn away despite sometimes in the past regretting that.

So I’m trying to take hold of the situation and consider it all through. I’ve looked at the opportunities available to me. I’m in a position where I can honestly be a little picky really. Virtually all the jobs posted are things I’ve done in some other guise over the last 10 years – so why do them again? How will that help my CV? Answer – not very much. One of those jobs in a new industry sector would help as it’d show versatility and adaptability which would be good. So apart from one outstanding option which would bizarrely given the whole reason this is happening (i.e. reduction of staff due to continued pressure on budgets etc.) give me a promotion I’m pretty much set on departing now and looking for new opportunities.

Some of my friends are saying I should become a guitar teacher but my negative head as ever points out my defects in terms of my theoretical knowledge and lack of paper qualifications for such a thing. However the passion would be reignited in something I’d love to do, so maybe I shouldn’t dismiss it so readily.

Then add to that England at cricket (groan), football (bigger groan), rugby… silence. I await Liz of Finding Life Hard to no doubt write an excellent piece on Sunday or Monday next week on how Wales take England to pieces at Cardiff this weekend.

Oh yes this year must have something seriously wrong with it… Gillingham are fighting for promotion… Promotion?! No – this is like Dallas I’ll wake up in a moment and it’ll all have been a dream… :-)

I did buy a PRS - did I mention I'd bought a PRS? :-)