Meat plant workers to Trump: Employees aren't going to show up

[TexasTowelie]

54. The only subset that I could possibly fit would be in IT support.

I have no vehicle, no assets to start over with, and I don't live in the Austin area. If I take a job away from where I live, then I would have to begin my new career living at a homeless shelter. The few friends that I had that could help me out are either unemployed themselves or in living situations which are unusual.

Considering that I have diabetes, bipolar depression, am unable to stand or walk for more than brief spurts, and that I am part of the long-term unemployed that never found work after the Great Recession the chances that I will find a job are nearly zero. A few weeks ago I woke up and lost complete motor coordination in my left hand--I couldn't type, tie my shoes, or button my clothing for about a week. I've had complete strangers look at me and tell me that I appear to be disabled plus three psychiatrists also state that I was permanently disabled. I fell through the cracks when I applied for SSDI and I went through the entire appeal process.

It isn't that I haven't tried, but my skills have also become somewhat obsolete and I don't have any money for retraining. I'm about to turn 55 in slightly over a month and while I don't reveal my age on any of my applications or resume, there isn't much interest to hire someone that age when they can find candidates that are more suitable to the job functions. It's been over a year since my last interview and while my mental skills are still relatively strong, the complete lack of physical stamina was affecting me nearly fifteen years ago. I was lucky to hold out for as long as I did while I was employed, but I wouldn't be able to work the 70-80 hour work weeks again. I've made my contribution to society as a state employee and working for an insurance company. I also volunteered as treasurer and president of a public employees group, and tutored a couple of college students while I was employed. It wasn't as though I didn't care or lacked ambition.