Emotional Rollercoaster/Livelihood

[ocnblu]

Well yeah, since finding out shock-n-awe style on May 15th that the bodyshop I work at would be closed by the end of the munt due to a multi-year drop-off in business (yes, that was today, our last day) despite a golden local reputation that was built over nearly 5 decades, all my staff have been clearly in emotional turmoil. Some have worn it on their sleeves while others have appeared to be resigned (bad word) to the fact almost from the minute of the announcement.

Some wished the axe had dropped immediately and more mercifully, instead of two weeks of torture as we choked off our insurance company contracts and watched our business drop to near zero by the end, while others seemed to wish for some sort of Christmas Mackerel.

Mackerels are few and far between. And I admit freely that my emotions have been all over the map since the announcement.

Shock

Anger

Bitterness

Fear....

Release

Euphoria

Hope

So I am hopeful now that something good will come of this. It has to, after 6 years of pouring my heart and soul into a place that vanished into thin, paint-fumed air seemingly overnight.

Tomorrow, I will travel around the county showing my face and grabbing some applications. 19 years experience have to mean something. SOMEWHERE. And I will keep traveling, applying and calling until I land somewhere.

This kind of test can spark an artistic outburst. All creative people are tormented to some degree, I firmly believe. And torment triggers creativity like nothing else. Of course, the results can vary, from great poetry to mass murder.

I'll stick with something between the two.

[balthazar]

You seem to have the personality/devotion to make it happen. Keep us posted, B, and good fortune to you.

[A Horse With No Name]

You have very specific technical skills that should be in high demand...good luck to you, dude!

[daves87rs]

Good luck man! Something cool will hopefully come of this...

[Camino LS6]

Keep us posted, Mr. Blu.

[Sixty8panther]

Best of luck... things are just beyond depressing all arond. WTF happened to his country? I wake up some days thinking that maybe the bad dream is over but it's NOT. On the automoive front I am repulsed at all the micro cars on U.S. roads today. This is NOT Paris or Tokyo, we do no need nor should we aspire to drive these POS micro-cars like the Fiat 500 & Smart cars. This is the freekin' U.S. of A. for God's sake!

Florida alone is bigger than the whole UK, New Englad is almost as bg as all of Western Europe! Why he hell are we driving around cars so small they make Golf carts look spaceous!?

[Blake Noble]

I'm wishing you the best of luck through this, Blu.

I'll throw this thought out there; have you ever thought of opening up your own body shop? Maybe if the crew you worked at your old job with were willing to get on board with you and share the expenses of renting a place and paying for the equipment, you guys wouldn't have to worry about this in the future.

From what I've seen in my area, many well-known body shops who do good quality work turn down plenty customers who want body work done on a classic car they're restoring or a daily driver they want repainted simply because it isn't insurance work. I know that's the reason why I had to let a cheap know-nothing paint my old '72 Cutlass. Maybe if you started a shop that did everything from assisting in classic car restorations to insurance work, you'd have a firm and assured grip on your local market.

Edited June 1, 2012 by black-knight

[regfootball]

wishing you the best, Mr. Blu. I'll keep you in my thoughts. I can't help but think that your next employer will be damn lucky to get you.

there are still just waves of this crap going on. Everything seems to just spiral down these days.....

[ocnblu]

Thank ya folks. Time to rebuild.

[A Horse With No Name]

Best of luck... things are just beyond depressing all arond. WTF happened to his country? I wake up some days thinking that maybe the bad dream is over but it's NOT. On the automoive front I am repulsed at all the micro cars on U.S. roads today. This is NOT Paris or Tokyo, we do no need nor should we aspire to drive these POS micro-cars like the Fiat 500 & Smart cars. This is the freekin' U.S. of A. for God's sake!

Florida alone is bigger than the whole UK, New Englad is almost as bg as all of Western Europe! Why he hell are we driving around cars so small they make Golf carts look spaceous!?

Before long a 500 CC motorcycle will be considered king sized....

wishing you the best, Mr. Blu. I'll keep you in my thoughts. I can't help but think that your next employer will be damn lucky to get you.

there are still just waves of this crap going on. Everything seems to just spiral down these days.....

And you are in our thoughts as well, mr blu.