no longer employed after 20 years

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For the better part of the last 20 years I have been working at a travelling circus. I have always been very proud to be able to have last that long let alone work there.

Working at a circus is not just a job it's a lifestyle. I really enjoyed travelling to new places, changing locations, knowing that I was capable of doing the hard work that was required at times. Ok, so the job could get a bit tedious preparing the exact same thing for breakfast every day. But that also had its advantages. I was able to leave work pretty early so I was able to take advantage of public transportation (when available) and seeing the town. Another benefit was that I could leave after I finished my work regardless of the time.

I am sure that you have been able to figure out by now, since everything was written in past tense, that I no longer work there. Friday afternoon I was told I was layed off. I was looking forward to this tour, the schedule is wonderful. Only 3 more stops and 2 of them have public transit. That's a dream come true. Let alone I was expecting to take a 4 week vacation in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. I don't have enough money to do that now.

My s.o. was also laid off.

I miss being there. Has anyone been to Ninigret Park in Charlestown, Rhode Island? It's wonderful. Wish I could be there in July.

Just wanted to talk to someone about this. Thanks for listening. One more thing the first reason I worked at the circus was because I couldn't get through a job interview any where else. But they hired me more than once. That alone makes me appreciate the place.

irene

I'm really sorry to hear about your job ending, Irene. It must have been a huge shock for you after such a long time, especially as your partner has been laid off as well. Was it because of the economic downturn? Is there any chance of you getting your job back if the economy improves? I really hope so. I also hope you'll get the chance to travel again soon- it's hard to stop once the travel bug bites. Meanwhile, take good care of yourself- you're probably still in a state of shock right now. Best wishes, Jenny.

Thank you Jenny for your understanding reply.

When I did ask if we could return I was told that they are expecting the circus will be doing better in about 2 years.

One reason all of this is so annoying to me is that I really don't have much self-confidence in most things but I certainly know how to do a job well. To boost my ego a bit I am able to say that people have told me that if I didn't cook breakfast they wouldn't eat. Lots of times I received compliments on the pancakes I made and no one else was capable of producing the same quality. I feel egotistical saying that.

I could probably go on for a long time discussing all of this. It's just that a big part the identity I gave to myself was as a long term employee of the Big Apple Circus which I was very proud to say.

irene

Irene middle class wages have been falling since 1975. And the circus industry is losing to video games, Internet, and TV. If you have been paying into your social security at all, you might count on that in only 5 years

Maybe you could try to find a job somewhere else - the hardest part is to keep looking.

Hi again, Irene. I can certainly understand how a job becomes part of your identity. I've worked in my job for over 20 years and it's helped to form the person that I am.

There's nothing wrong with being proud of your cooking skills. It seems a shame that a talented cook isn't able to keep feeding people with delicious food, though. Could you find another job that uses those skills? Surely a good cook will be wanted somewhere. You may miss the traveling for a while, though- not many jobs can offer the variety offered by circus life. Hopefully your circus will be able to re-employ you in two years- maybe sooner if they miss your pancakes enough. Jenny

I never got any time off when I was with the circus, but the elephants had fun pushing trucks out of the mud.