I had never heard those words. As I watched job after job go overseas, somehow, I'd always escaped it myself. Until now.
I had a good job. Not one of those jobs that "Americans don't want to do, anyway."
I had a good job with good pay, that required technical skills and abilities that took me years to acquire. I was told last week that my job was being outsourced to Vietnam.
There was nothing wrong with my work. There was nothing wrong with the company. The company was doing fine. Someone made the decision that it made more financial sense to ship our jobs overseas, and eight of us were laid off.
I don't want to rant about my personal feelings about the company and it's decision. Whatever, buh bye, seeya. I could, but I don't want to go into the system that actually encourages companies to make decisions just like this one.
What I do want to rant about is last week, waking up on the first morning of my unemployment, the first thing I had to wake up to was Phil Gramm's weasely face talking about how we are a nation of whiners, and we are in a "mental recession." Impeccable timing, sir. I would have thrown a shoe through my cheap imported television if I could buy another one. I know, I'm whining. I should have sucked it up and thrown the shoe.
I was reminded of the last thing I wanted to be reminded of, John McCain's statements about how America's economic problems are "psychological." You see, this is where I would quit whining and make an appointment with the therapist to deal with my psychological layoff, but now that I have no health insurance, I can't afford to do that, either.
I'm having trouble sleeping now, as well, what with all the whining I'm doing about nothing. I'm even sleep-whining.
My girlfriend was psychologically laid off seven months ago, and thus far, she's only been able to land a part-time freelancing gig. Now, we get to both be at home all day. The couple that whines together, stays together!
Fortunately for us both, though, this is all in our heads.