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Moser: Poor Economy Prompts Plans for Leaving Prince William

by Connie Moser on August 10, 2014 at 9:13 am 8 comments

Do you know what these words signify?

1. Denial and Isolation
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

If you said the five stages of death and dying you are correct!

I am neither dead nor dying but for the last 18 months it seemed like it. That is how long my husband has been looking for a job.

We shared denial: It was not a surprise to be laid off when the sequester was first broached. It was not unexpected that Bill, a senior level Oracle DBA, would be one of the first to go. The denial began when he didn’t get another job right away.

We experienced some anger: “Why us?”

We did a little bargaining: “Bill could work without benefits. Bill could take a pay cut. Bill could work part-time.”

Depression was complicated. It felt more like fear. “What will we do? What will happen to us?

So, here’s where we are: Bill may have a job at Fort Knox, but if that falls through, we are still going to have to move.

The grief I am experiencing is because I hate leaving my friends and my community. The anger is because I feel we are forced to make this decision by forces beyond our control…the economy, the cost of living, our age.

More than anything I am incredibly sad that our only alternative has become selling our home and moving some place where the cost of living is lower.

Still, I am aware how lucky we are. We will not have to sleep in a tent under a tarp like many unfortunate folks. We will not have to worry about starving to death or suffering from heat and cold. I am grateful for those things.

I can’t begin to describe to you how much I have loved my life in Prince William County. What a joy it’s been to serve my community in so many capacities.

I don’t have the words to tell you how much I hate to leave. We never expected to leave and we certainly don’t want to do so but we can’t just keep watching our bank account empty at this rapid pace. We were six and a half years away from retirement when Bill lost his job. We just can’t wait any longer or hope a job is going to open up.

We’re still going to be here a while. If Bill gets the job, he’ll be leaving in a couple of weeks. I’ll have to stay here and go through 30 years of possessions and decide what we take, sell or donate. My goal is to be gone before the holidays.

Oh, I didn’t write about the last stage, acceptance! I guess I haven’t hit that yet.

 

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  • William Golden

    HUGS!!

  • Al Alborn

    You will be missed, my friend.

  • katherinemm31

    Oh Connie, what will PWC do without you???

    • Marlo Watson

      I said the same thing!

  • Marlo Watson

    Truly missed and truly truly unfortunate for PWC!

  • Craig

    While I regret the disruption in your life, and the loss to our county of your many volunteer efforts, I note in your multiple postings of your plight no mention that part of the solution would be for you to get a job. Many of us have two incomes to support living in this area, even with kids at home and still support the community. You have clearly demonstrated skills that would benefit local businesses. You could still volunteer but before or after work as many of us do.

  • Belinda Miller

    Your absence will be felt by the county and everyone who knows you. Best wishes to you.

  • Tom Fitzpatrick

    What will PWC do?

    Well, I hope that we will undo the damage done by a government run HOA doing the bidding of a very few self appointed experts who forced their narrow view of the world on the world.

    Hopefully, we will begin to use full and open public discourse and debate in conjunction with a timely electoral process to deliver, or avoid, the government that the majority of citizen taxpayers desire.

    Hopefully, the private egos and agendas will be replaced by a mandate to serve the public good, as the public defines that good.

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