I lost my job today

So, I no longer work at a computer store.

When I applied it was with the idea that I'd mostly be working up front, with customers; working the cash, and maybe fixing computers on the side. I think somehow things got a bit lost, and it was always seen by the boss that I'd be the guy working in the back, fixing computers, and maybe helping customers on side. In fact, he hired another lady who is mostly a "front" person at the same time.

Anyway, there were two key problems. One is that the store is not busy enough right now to keep two people on full time, and another is that I just don't know enough about computers to fix them professionally.

So it came to a head and my boss let me know that today was my last day. He seemed pretty bothered by it, he's a nice guy, and I don't think he likes letting people go, but I understand that you do what you gotta do. I swallowed any emotions and just spoke with him logically, and said I wanted to have him as a friend (and I do) and that I might not want to chat much with him this weekend, and he understands.

When I left the store I thought "I don't know what I'm going to do" but it quickly dawned on me that, frankly, I do. I'll be handing out resumes starting monday.

This is, quite bluntly, the absolute best time to lose this job. Because of the way ODSP works (social supports I'm on) I will still be feeling the positive financial impact of this job at the end of march, which is plenty of time to find a new job, and just when the ODSP bonuses dry up, I'll, hopefully, be getting a regular paycheque at another job.

Reason two this is a good time to transition jobs is that starting monday, a bus starts between my town and the one next door. While two times the size in terms of population, there is at least three if not four times the employment opportunities, fueled by some of the large malls, and Wal-Marts, and so on. Thanks to the bus these places, never before accessible, now are.

Reason three is that tomorrow I get my ODSP money for the month. Telling me that I am being let go today means I've not spent any of that money. Compare this to telling me a week from now, when I expect weekly paycheques to keep me going, after I've blown a good portion of my ODSP on pizza and fortified wine.

As such I am, literally, 'not even mad'.

There is, literally, no better time to find this out, and, due to the fact that the most I could really ever hope for at the store was 10 hours a week, or 20 at the best of times, I can now go and find myself a full time job; with a reference from a local small businessman on my side.

As such, when I first found this out, an hour ago, I was expecting to come home, curl up in my bed, and not want to be bothered by or bother with the outside world for a few days. Now I'm debating who I'll chat with, and how I'll have fun for the rest of the evening.

While losing your job is never a good thing, I do think that this is, quite literally - down to the flipping minute (I had just enough time to go the booze store before it closed) - the best time to lose my job*, and as such, I'm actually quite energized to go out and find a new job - perhaps at McDonalds where I have years and years of experience.

*I'm pretty sure he knows all the timings, and timed it this way on purpose; and for that I can't thank him enough.