I guess it's my turn

Last Tuesday, my position was eliminated at work, along with a bunch  
of others.  The push to outsource and the increase in commodity prices  
seem to be taking their toll (thanks Bernanke & congress).   There  
have been a series of layofs in the past 2 years and I survived all of  
them until now.  My big project had been ending anyway, should have  
seen it coming.  Pep$! has been good to me for the past 5 years, but  
I'm sure many of you can attest it's still a very humiliating  
experience to go through.  I suppose that can be turned into a good  
thing.  Trying to stay positive, but I admit being a tad nervous to  
say the least.  My wife doesn't work so I'm the sole provider, 3 kids  
approaching college age.  That's a big scary thing, always has been,  
and kind of rare these days. Before as a contractor, it wasn't  
uncommon to have a project discontinued and have to find work on a  
dime, but this time it just seems different.  The economy is such that  
the IT labor market is flooded with supply of cheap labor.  Wages have  
dropped considerably.  Horror stories abound right now.  I'm  
considering changing careers, but to what I have no idea.  I keep a  
running "business idea list", but none of them seem to lucrative to me  
right now.

Still, with all the worry, seeing the results of the NZ Earthquake put  
everything in perspective.  The world can change in a minute.  I've  
still got a lot going for me.  For one, I've got mobility.  Because we  
have no house and we homeschool and I have a supportive and  
adventurous family, we can move anywhere!  literally, I've considered  
positions in Austrailia even, among other places.  I confess I've been  
looking for someplace new to satisfy my wanderlust long before this.   
(West Coast?  Canada?  Europe? Northern US? We'll see..).  I've also  
got a strong network of former colleagues and clients.  Something good  
should come of that.

Anyway, thanks for letting me worry out loud a little.  I know many of  
you here have already been through this.  I guess its my turn now.

regards,
-Lance
(if you want to have a C0ke and a smile today...I won't say anything.)

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