Changing4Best
VIP Member
This is rather a disjointed discussion question, but I will do my best to express my various thoughts on the subject as best as I can.
Do you feel guilty for not working if you don't work? I'm reading a memoir and it is written by a lady who is a receptionist in her father's Drs. office. When I was six years old or so, my father had already taught me how to answer the phone and take messages for his plumbing business. I did very well at it, even though I am dyslexic. I did know my numbers, even though I do still mix up their order sometimes. None the less, if I wrote each number as it was recited to me slowly, I was able to take messages, even at that age. I would repeat the number to the customer, just to be sure I had it right.
These days, being on Social Security Disability and being in my 60s I feel guilty sometimes that I am not a contributing member of society, not working. However, I have virtually no work experience, having not usually been able to keep a job for more than about 4 months. I would either have a Bipolar episode or a PTSD one and blow it.
I take a load of meds too, as well as having no car. I would have to walk to a job if I had one, but how would I get there? I live way out in the mountains and one needs a car to get around here. Yes, I can walk, but how far? I can walk to a store that is maybe a ten minute walk from here, but that does not mean I would want to walk there in the rain or snow or cold weather or hot either! And who would hire someone with virtually no experience who is my age anyway?
Also, my memory is failing, so learning any new skills is kind of beyond me. My husband did not want me to work, so I never really did, except to help out occasionally in our family businesses. If I had an episode, I could take some time off no questions asked. I did have folks working under me sometimes, but I was always thought of as "the owner's wife" not a real employee. I could give orders, but more often our employees knew what was expected of them and basically did what they were supposed to do most of the time. That is, unless they were drinking, drugging or high on something. Then it was hard to get them to work, but hard to get rid of them too! They lived on the premises, so eviction was necessary. If, for instance, the wife was a good maid at our motel, even though her husband was lazy and not really holding up his part of the bargain, it was tough to get rid of them!
I guess what I am asking is, were you ever able to work once you had experienced your trauma? And once you were taking loads of meds and could not drive due to this? Being at retirement age is not the time to start a career of any kind, really. Why do I feel so guilty about not having a job? Is this normal for a person who lives completely on government funds?
Do you feel guilty for not working if you don't work? I'm reading a memoir and it is written by a lady who is a receptionist in her father's Drs. office. When I was six years old or so, my father had already taught me how to answer the phone and take messages for his plumbing business. I did very well at it, even though I am dyslexic. I did know my numbers, even though I do still mix up their order sometimes. None the less, if I wrote each number as it was recited to me slowly, I was able to take messages, even at that age. I would repeat the number to the customer, just to be sure I had it right.
These days, being on Social Security Disability and being in my 60s I feel guilty sometimes that I am not a contributing member of society, not working. However, I have virtually no work experience, having not usually been able to keep a job for more than about 4 months. I would either have a Bipolar episode or a PTSD one and blow it.
I take a load of meds too, as well as having no car. I would have to walk to a job if I had one, but how would I get there? I live way out in the mountains and one needs a car to get around here. Yes, I can walk, but how far? I can walk to a store that is maybe a ten minute walk from here, but that does not mean I would want to walk there in the rain or snow or cold weather or hot either! And who would hire someone with virtually no experience who is my age anyway?
Also, my memory is failing, so learning any new skills is kind of beyond me. My husband did not want me to work, so I never really did, except to help out occasionally in our family businesses. If I had an episode, I could take some time off no questions asked. I did have folks working under me sometimes, but I was always thought of as "the owner's wife" not a real employee. I could give orders, but more often our employees knew what was expected of them and basically did what they were supposed to do most of the time. That is, unless they were drinking, drugging or high on something. Then it was hard to get them to work, but hard to get rid of them too! They lived on the premises, so eviction was necessary. If, for instance, the wife was a good maid at our motel, even though her husband was lazy and not really holding up his part of the bargain, it was tough to get rid of them!
I guess what I am asking is, were you ever able to work once you had experienced your trauma? And once you were taking loads of meds and could not drive due to this? Being at retirement age is not the time to start a career of any kind, really. Why do I feel so guilty about not having a job? Is this normal for a person who lives completely on government funds?
