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Blogs by Paul Cuenco
At my Starbucks
1/4/2012 10:07:22 PM
I’m here right now, at the same Starbucks I’ve hung around in for the past two and a half years. This was the time when I lost my job and the U.S. economy had plunged to near depression. I remember that time when I awoke one time when I could not write, I stuttered and my train of thought was not cohesive. I still can function but it could take quite a while. That was the week I got laid off. I tried looking for a job, here in Portland, but I could not find one. There were too many individuals wanting the same job I’m after. I tried lowering my expectations and apply for a job far below what I am capable of. Still, there was no deal. I applied for a temporary job, but no one was calling. In name alone, I was hired; but no one was “hiring” me.
So at Starbucks, I spent an endless time, looking for a job through the internet. I tried looking for a job in person but the company would point me time and again to the internet. Day in and day out, everyday including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, I would be in the computer searching for a job. I would on those rare instances be called for an interview but nothing happened. I couldn’t pass the first interview. One time, a company called me twice on different occasions thinking that they hadn’t contacted me, yet. I am even more qualified than the interviewer but I guess I have to swallow my pride and accept the fact that he has the job and I didn’t.
And then, after over a year, I have to put something on my resume to compensate for the lack of employment history. It was already over a year and I did not have anything between the last time I had a job and that day. Thinking that I have novels to work on, I thought of publishing them. I hired Hope (she has an English degree and well versed in copy editing) for free to edit my work. I hired her for a fee after the first book. After which I search for a literary agent. But nothing panned out for the literary agent. Then I heard about Lulu.com, a publishing agency for the self-published. I took this route and now, I am with them for my four books. At least now, I have something to occupy that blank spot in my resume.
But the books were not enough to support me. I continued on looking for a job and I eventually found one, as a marketer for a gutter company. It did have a relatively ok pay, not great but good enough to live on. My bosses were kind to me. I think this counted a lot in my decision to join them and stick with them. And the hours were flexible that if I have a speaking engagement or my books need attention, I can ask for a time off.
So, here I am at Starbucks, occupying my time before my shifts starts; typing my train of thought and wishing that better times are ahead of me. I hope that you would not experience what I went through but if you do, chalk it up to experience and allow this experience to let you grow stronger morally, mentally and spiritually. It did for me.
Available in:
AuthorsDen.com/paulcuenco
paulcuenco.wordpress.com
predicament-paul.blogspot.com
www.BooksNovelsPoemsJournalsByPaul.com
Other literary work, search Paul Cuenco in:
Lulu.com
Kindle.com
Amazon.com
Nook.com
BN.com (Barnes and Nobles)
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• Predicament: Dinner at a Deserted Restaurant - Tuesday, April 03, 2012
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