It is a little hard to describe if you have never worked in this place before and it really takes time for the newbies to succumb to the evil forces but, slowly, they begin to be literally dragged down by some sort of blood thirsty energy and idea suckers ready to pounce on the whiff of fresh meat.

Let’s just say my nickname for the place was “insane asylum” – the 8′x8′ all white cubicle walls, lights turned down because we all worked on computer monitors, silence, new ideas forbidden, and me day-in and day-out facing the corner getting a fluorescent suntan. The worst part was how the employees were treated, a basic human desire to be appreciated was met with a fleeing emotion to make sure every comment was politically correct.

Frustrating for someone who is filled to the brim with new ideas and desire to work diligently and directly to find new solutions to old problems. I didn’t know what to do. The harder I worked, thinking I could work towards a promotion, the more work I got. The more I dismissed work, the more praise I received (yah, if you could call it that). I began applying for job after job and discovered that because I had worked to be reclassified to a higher position, I may have worked myself out of many opportunities where they considered me overqualified and because I did not have a technological background I was under qualified for positions with complementary salary ranges. Now it wasn’t that I just hadn’t left yet it was that I can’t leave – I’m stuck here ?!?! Because technological advances were things our managers read about almost all of the staff was in the same place, experts on technological systems that are no longer being used in the real world. Not only am I stuck, everyone else is hopeless as well. They were all showing up to die.

I took a leap. I knew that if I stayed I would have regretted each and every day of the 22 years I had left to work until I could have retired. I tried a new profession. I had obtained my real estate license and decided to take a position with a Real Estate Investor. I worked there for a few months but that quickly went sour, took a position as Property Manager and learned quickly how not to run a business … I was fired the day before Thanksgiving due to “restructuring,” mind you it was a 7 person office.

I fumbled, fell, tripped, even flat out flopped but eventually… landed back on my feet. I’m not condoning doing exactly what I did, but I want to make sure one message is clear. I survived.

You are not alone, there are people that want to help you if you will let them. Timing is huge – I could have done better and I still can. I am ready to spread my wings and find other ways to support myself than staying in a place that was sucking my breath out of me day by day. You only have one life to live and for me, I want to live happy.