November Wrap Up

November has been a very busy month. Between Thanksgiving, NaNo, Christmas popping up everywhere, I've been swamped. My mind is a jumbled mess. So today I'm just going to wrap up my November.

I am so close to reaching 50,000 words. I have exactly 4,619 words and two days left. I've always worked better under pressure so I'm not really worried about it. What I am worried about is going back to edit. But I'll worry about it when I get there. How about your month of writing? Are you happy with the outcome so far?

I think I read one book this month. Vixen by Jillian Larkin. (One of these days I'll write a review) That's the thing I miss the most. Cuddling up on the couch with a good book and losing myself in the character's world. I plan on catching up on all my reading this winter.

I wasn't going to write about this but what the heck. 11/11/2011 was said to be one of the luckiest days. At 11:11 everyone said to make a wish. So at 11:11 on 11/11/2011 I sat in my office at work and made my wish. I wished for an agent. I'm a writer what do you expect? I'm not even kidding you when I say that two hours later I received a request to read my full manuscript. I was ecstatic of course. I really began to believe in the hoopla. Then an hour later I lost my job. I was laid off. After dedicating ten years of my life to this company, I had nothing. Not even a good luck or a thank you for all that I had done. Nothing. I found a box went in my office and packed up ten years worth of my life.  I was upset. I was angry. I think more than anything I was disappointed. Ten years is a very long time. I started there when I was just sixteen. I basically grew up with these people and they didn't even have the decency to say goodbye. That hurt. I always looked at the people I worked with for those ten years as family and I felt like they all turned their backs on me. But like I've always heard, in the end you know who your true friends are. And now I do.

I cried. I won't lie. At first I didn't and then when I thought about Christmas I lost it. Buying gifts is my thing. I have been buying gifts for every person in my family, mom, dad, brother, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, everyone, since I was six. My birthday is December 4th and my birthday money was always put towards getting these gifts. I rarely spent my birthday money on myself. Now this year things are tight. I can't spend like I usually do and that upsets me. I know Christmas isn't about the gifts, but seeing the face of a person you love light up when they open something you gave them that is my favorite part of Christmas. Once I wiped away the tears I realized I could still get that reaction I just have to do it on a budget. 

My best friend told me, it was a blessing in disguise. I couldn't agree with her more. It was a company where you had no room to grow. I spent 30,000 dollars on a college education and it is about time I use that degree. I also have a lot of time on my hands now and that means I can write all day and I can read whenever I want. While I'm looking for a job I am going to enjoy the time I have to myself. I have worked full time since I was sixteen while also balancing a full time education. In the ten years I worked at this company I called in sick maybe three times. There were days where I was sent home sick by my boss but I never called out. If I was scheduled to work I felt obligated to be there.

I worked from 8am to 6pm every Saturday for nine years. Do you know how many people have parties on Saturdays? And do you know how many I missed? I missed my best friend's kids birthday parties and even a christening or two. I missed friends and family member's birthday/anniversary/graduation parties all because I had to work. Not anymore. I spent nine years disappointing my family and friends all because of my job and I'm not going to do that anymore. I've missed out on so much and for what? In the end it was for nothing.

So 11/11/2011 might not have turned out the way I had hoped, but I honestly believe it was a lucky day. I'm free. For the first time in ten years I can do whatever it is that I want to do. It's scary, especially for a person who hates change, but at the same time it's exciting. I can't wait to see what's next.

How was your November?