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READING LEVEL 5
The Feeling of Losing a Job
Julia Umanzor
I lost my job in March of 2017. A very difficult situation at my workplace made me resign.
My supervisor screamed at me in front of all my co-workers: “Why are you so late?!” I responded, “You told me to come at this time.” She said, “No, I didn’t tell you that. You are just making things up.”
I was very angry with the supervisor because just the day before, she had come to my table to tell me to come in at that time. I was so furious at her that I exploded. I was so tired of all the bad things she has done to me. I had endured so much. I couldn’t take it anymore. I endured all her insults, all her humiliations, and all her fabrications against me all these years. I was tired of her. I went home crying and thinking of not coming back. I was done. All these years, I bore the evil of my supervisor against me.
It is a painful feeling to lose a job because of another person. The days go by, and I keep looking for work everywhere. I begin to feel depressed, anxious, and sad for not having a job. I have some bills to pay which are very important. In these moments of distress, everything seems lost. I constantly fight against the negativity of my thoughts, against the sadness of not even having $1 in my pocket to eat or buy something I wish for.
Yes, I know I will find a job, but the feelings I experience while waiting for work are terrible. Daily life is a challenge, but everything is an apprenticeship.
Julia Umanzor studies English at English for Action in Providence, RI. She is 30 years old, from Honduras, and came to the U.S. when she was a young teenager. After writing this article, she worked many temporary jobs and finally found one she likes: a stable job with good pay as a Pharmaceutical Quality Control Inspector.