I am creating this blog because we who are over fifty, who have watched our retirement accounts dwindle, and been laid off from jobs where we held senior positions, need a voice more than ever before.
The story of Chesley "Sully" Sulllenberger, age 57, who skillfully guided the US Airlines plane onto the Hudson River when he couldn't make it to a nearby airport, saving the lives of all 155 people on board, is an inspiration to me, speaking as it does to the benefits of experience. The world cannot afford to lose people like this in the work place. Not just for the sake of the safe landing of planes, but for the sake of our children's education, our ailing infrastructures, and the productivity of our country.
I am creating this blog because I believe that as we age we can become the heroes, role models and visionaries that our younger colleagues need. Even if our short term memories aren't as sharp, we have memories of things that help put into perspective the rasher decisions that might other wise be made in these rapidly changing times. WE need others to hear the stories of our success.
I am starting this blog because the "ism" I worry about most now is the insidious "ageism" that goes hand in hand with the downward spiral of our economy. As Baby Boomers gray and become more experienced, and higher paid, they often become the first to be laid off when companies need to make cuts. Ironically, with these lay offs goes not only a drain of brainpower and wisdom but also a loss of tax revenue and an opportunity for rescuing our economy.
I feel fortunate because I love the work I do, and because I have union protection. I am in my 50's and have worked as a school psychologist for twenty years. I believe that each of these years made me better at what I do, full of knowledge that I was never taught in school, able to handle the myriad of challenges that come my way.
My husband has not been so lucky as me. I am writing to share how it feels to watch this real live person I love and one of the most generous and ethical people I know, become part of the statistics on the impact of this deep recession. While employed my husband helped pay the tuition for his stepdaughters' college education. He paid a lot of taxes. He gave a portion of his earnings to charity. Now he is collecting unemployment checks and the state and federal government are not benefiting from his taxes. Now all his donations to charities have dried up and he is applying for emergency financial aid to help our daughter complete her freshman year at MIT.
My husband is a software engineer. When he chose this profession thirty years ago in its infancy he was assured he would never be without employment. He and his colleagues were also convinced that they would be better off to go it alone , without any union representation. Some in the profession capitalized on the success of their companies and cashing out their stock options made them rich. But for many like my husband there was no pension plan. They were hired "at will" and could be laid off "at will." As the economy has gotten worse, as jobs have been shipped over seas, these high tech white collar workers have become increasingly vulnerable.
Two years ago, when my husband was hired as a senior software engineer at a major consumer electronics company, he had several other job opportunities. But he was assured that this was a company where layoffs were rarely necessary. But that rarely necessary happened, exactly one week before Thanksgiving, with absolutely no notice. After a brief conversation with his supervisor, notifying him that his position was being eliminated, he had only a few minutes to gather his essential items before turning in his badge and VON token and being ushered out of the building. With no time even for a goodbye, he was instructed to return after hours to pack up the rest of his things. The timing was aimed perfectly to avoid the need for paid vacation time over the upcoming holidays. Now the opportunities for quick recovery look bleak. There has not even been a response the jobs he applies to every day.
We have heard many horror stories about 50 something engineers with PhD's from prestigious universities being laid off, even as newly educated engineers are hired on the spot to fill vacancies in these companies. Without changes in how things are done we wonder if our daughter, who has plans to work as a chemical engineer in fuel cell research, is wise to pursue a career in private industry in which she is so vulnerable.
I am writing with hopes that my story will inspire others to share their stories.That together we can gain the courage we need to fight the fight, to hang in there for the long run and become part of a collective power that helps make the changes we need for a juster world in which all can be of use and value.
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