The circumstances that put me in this position were really due to no fault of my own. I spent many years working in a particular part of the business, and over the years becoming one of the more knowledgable people involved in it. I also developed a distinct ability to communicate well with others, while becoming somewhat of a technical expert in that particular field. This, in turn opened up avenues to some new and exciting technology, which i was able to find a niche for with a few of the oil companies. This, again opened up an opportunity to work with a company that was pioneering the ability to preform riser-less intervention operations in ultra deep sub-sea wells, where the completed wellhead was under up to 7000 feet of water.
For about 2 years, i was paid a fairly high salary as well as bonuses that i never thought would be available to me. Perfect scenario, right? Well, it was, until the unexpected happened. Oil prices went from several years at more than 100 dollars per barrel, to between 30 and 40 dollars per barrel in the span of only a few months. This caused a wide spread panic throughout the oil and gas industry, immediately resulting in companies throughout the industry tightening their belts by almost amy means necessary, short of laying off a percentage of their employees, all hoping against hope that the down-turn would be short lived, and things would soon be back to "business as usual". Unfortunately, this was not to be the case.
Weeks went by, then months and years with no sign of a resurgence. Soon, people began to be unceremoniously wiped from the employee rolls. Some with enough seniority to be offered retirement packages that would help to see them through some upcoming very dark times; however, there were many, including myself who were simply given a swift kick out into the streets with absolutely nothing to fall back on due to the fact that they had been lured into situations where they could see themselves finishing out their careers successfully. Unfortunately, no one saw what was just over the horizon.
After spending the next couple of years taking lower and lower paying jobs in the industry, and trying to sell jobs where there were very few jobs to be sold, I ended up on the unemployment lines, where i remained until long after any benefits were available to me.
I spent 20 months checking the oil prices on a daily basis, while calling each and every friend, associate and colleague who i had known over the years in search of an opportunity that i knew did not exist. We, as a family liquidated assets, tightened our belts and lived on bread crumbs for a while, before it was inevitable that my wife was going to have to venture back into the working world, that we had avoided throughout the entire lives of our two teenaged sons.
I have to give her credit where credit is due, she never complained at all and poured herself into the work environment like the champion that i always knew her to be. Not only did she keep the wolves away from the door for almost an entire year, allowing me to continue to cultivate the business that i know well in hopes of finding another lucrative opportunity, she proved to be incredibly good at what she was doing, even after not working outside the home for more than 18 years. She eventually worked her way into the general manager's position in one of the more popular fine restaurants of the area that we live in.
After a long and dark spell, circumstances presented themselves, opening up an opportunity for me to get back to work on a full time basis, while at the same time, my wife was offered a very good salary to take the position that she is now working in.
Looking back on the way that things transpired, I still cant see how we were able to make it through the things that we did. I can take a few things away from the experience. Number one is, you never know who your friends are until you are put in a situation where you really need friends. Not necessarily for monetary support, but more for moral support. The loss of your income and lack of ability to make a living for your family with no end in sight takes a toll on your confidence. I can assure you that if you are ever able to put this theory to the test, you will come away with the same results that i did. There are really no such things as friends. Almost all of them, to the man will avoid you like you have some extremely contagious disease. None of them will reach out to you, stick their necks out for you or even offer to help bring you necessities, such as food or clothing for your kids. They will not return your phone calls, which i can see up to a point. It is simply human nature not to want to have to deliver bad news; although, most don't seem to understand that i already knew the bad news, and i mostly just needed the moral support or just someone to talk to.
I have always believed that you should always treat others the way that you would want to be treated, at least until they have proven several times that they simply cannot be trusted to do the same. at that point, you simply have to cut them out of your life, and never give them an opportunity to mistreat you or your family again.
I harbor no ill will toward anyone, regardless of the circumstances. I do; however, have a long memory and will not forget when in am wronged. Even still, if any of those people come to me and need help, I will help them, although reluctantly.
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