I will be posting a story from several years ago since I wasn’t able to write a story this week because I got food poison and was sick for the past few days.

Life has a way of teaching people right from wrong and the consequences of choosing wrongdoing. Now, I’ve never described myself as any kind of saint or do-gooder. But, on the other hand, I’ve never intentionally hurt anyone. Although I know I have hurt people. It was not my intention. After all, I had to look out for my own best interest, didn’t I? 

“ I mean, we all have to look out for our best interest, don’t we? Just recently, I was up for a promotion at my workplace. I have been working there for almost five years and haven’t had a raise or a promotion. And to tell you the truth, I know damm well, I deserve it. I worked hours of overtime every week, and many times, I wasn’t even paid for the overtime. I sat by and watched several fellow employees get promoted and paid higher pay even though I’ve worked at this company for several years longer than they have. And to tell you the truth, I’ve had enough; it’s unfair. And I intend to make some changes somewhere, somehow.

Just last week I was about to leave for the day, when my boss, Mr. Conway called me into his office and asked me to close out the customer file I was working on before I left that day, since it was Friday night. I stared blankly at him for a minute or two. And I stammered, ‘but, this is Friday night, I have plans tonight, I promised my wife dinner and a movie. I haven’t been home before nine O’clock for the past month.”

My boss looked at me like I was out of my mind. ” Your wife wants you home early? Well, that’s unfortunate. I suggest you take her out on Saturday night. If you don’t finish this file tonight, we will lose this contract, and then, unfortunately, you will most likely lose your job. It’s your choice.”

I stared at my boss for at least five minutes before I responded. “I just can’t stay late tonight. I will make it up next week. Today is our tenth wedding aniversary. And I can’t disappoint her again; you understand that, don’t you?”

“I understand. I have my own family as well, but my job has to come first, or I won’t be able to take care of my family, and you won’t either if you don’t go back to your desk and finish this tonight.”

I took a deep breath and said,” Finish the file; yes, I understand. I’ll get to it.” I grabbed the file, turned, and returned to my workstation without another word. I felt like my head was going to explode. I could feel my pulse racing, I hoped I didn’t have a stroke or something, then where would my family be. I picked up the phone to let my wife know I wouldn’t be home until late again. I knew she was going to be angry. I was between a rock and a hard place, as my father used to say.

As soon as my wife picked up the phone, she said,” Let me guess, you’ll be late. Do you realize the kids haven’t seen you in almost a week? When are you going to make your family a priority?”

“Helen, you and the kids are my only priority, but how will I pay the mortgage, all the bills, and the tuition for the private schools if I don’t have a job? What can I say?”

“Ok, Ok, I understand, but I don’t like it. But I know you don’t have a choice. Be careful coming home. I’ll explain to the kids why you won’t see them until Saturday.”

“Ok, Helen, let’s make plans to take the kids hiking, to the zoo, or to something fun they like to do. I promise you I’ll make it up to you and them. Maybe your mother can babysit Saturday night, and you and I could go to dinner together? What do you say?”

“That sounds great, Bill. Be careful driving home. I put some dinner in the fridge for you in case I’m in bed when you get home. Drive carefully.”

“I will, Helen; you know you and the kids are my priority, even if it doesn’t seem that way now. I’ll see you later, love you. And then I saw my boss staring at me from across the room. “I thought I clarified that you were to get to work and finish that file. If I can’t depend on you, I will have to start looking for someone who can keep up and make their jog their priority.”

I stared at him momentarily and said,’ You know I have been working overtime for the past several years. I rarely see my kids or my wife. I work more overtime than anyone in this office, including you.’

“Is that right? Well, maybe you should start looking for another position somewhere else. If your family is more important than your job?”

“You’re right. I should start looking for another job, but I’ve been offered several positions in the last several months. And I turned them down because I felt loyalty towards this company. But I can see that doesn’t swing both ways. You always threaten my job if I don’t work twenty-four-seven. I haven’t had a vacation in three years. I hardly ever see my family. Frankly, I’ve had several job offers from our competitors in the past several months. So, let me put this another way: I quit. Good luck replaciing me. I know very few people in this business will work at the company because you have a reputation for treating employees like you own them. So, goodbye, and good luck.”

With that, I walked over to my desk, packed my belongings, and grabbed my keys. And went on my merry way. My “former boss” looked at me with eyes so wide, I thought they might fall out of their sockets.’ And then he said, “ wait, wait don’t decide this without and forethought. You will have a hard time getting a job like this again. I won’t give you any recommendation. You’ll regret it. “

“I feel a weight lifted off my back already, and I won’t regret it.” You will regret it because I’m the only employee with a good relationship with our customers.” None of them ever want to interact with the upper echelon.” With that, I grabbed all my personal property off my desk and out of the desk drawers, turned my back, and walked out of the employee’s exit without looking back. I felt a weight lift off my shoulders and could finally take a deep breath again.

“And that, my friends, was the beginning of my new life. I was offered executive positions with several companies I had dealt with over the past decade, and they all offered me benefits like higher pay, paid vacation time, and no late Friday nights. My wife was overjoyed, and my kids were so happy to be able to spend more time with their “dear dad.” And I was in hog heaven, a job I loved, and I didn’t have to work overtime every night. I had four weeks of vacation each year. And bosses that believed their employees had the right to a personal life with their family. From that day forward, I looked forward to going to work and interacting with people who had respect for their fellow employees. “

Over time, I got to know my fellow workers, and they all told me how much they loved this company and the owners. We were all owners of this company because we could buy stock if we chose to do so. So, don’t let anyone tell you to stick to your job no matter what. There is always another path you can take in your life. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. And by the way, my wife and I are going on a second honeymoon for a week on our anniversary to Bermuda, where we spent our first honeymoon. My kids will be spoiled for a week by their grandparents, who promised to take them to an amusement park. So, whatever you do in life, don’t give up. You can always take another path; don’t let anyone tell you differently.

The longer I live, the more I realize that what you do in life and put out there will return to you in some form. If you are a caring and generous person, you will be on the receiving end of generosity and love. But you must be aware that people will no doubt try to take advantage of your generous heart. If you are a self-absorbed and selfish person who takes advantage of people, that will come back on you. Karma does exist, have no doubt.

This is a lesson I have learned over my lifetime. When I was younger, I was naive and believed all people were decent, kind, and generous. But, over the years, I learned that this isn’t true. Some people are selfish and self-absorbed, and some have a generous and caring nature and will give you the shirt off their back if needed. My mother was the kindest and most caring person I have ever had. She worked hard every day. She was a loving mother who always put her children’s needs before her own. And if need be, she would get a job to help with my family finances. And not once did I ever hear her complain. Not once.

My mother was a role model in other ways. She was a deeply spiritual woman. She attended Mass at the OLPH Church every morning, said the rosary every afternoon, and prayed for all her children and grandchildren. We lived two houses down from the Catholic church. She was a member of the Altar and Rosary Society. She never said an unkind word against anyone.

When I was about to graduate from the eight grade my mother started cleaning at the public school in our town, in addition she began to clean other people’s houses to make money to help pay for our school tuition. Eventually, she got a job when I was about to enter high school, cooking in the employee’s kitchen at Wanamaker’s at the Moorestown Mall in New Jersey. She took the bus back and forth to work. I can’t remember a single complaint ever from my mother. Regardless of the weather. Be it the unbearable heat of the summer, or a snowy day when there was oftern three or feet of snow.

My oldest sister, Jeanie, died from emphysema when she was forty-one.

She worried about each of her children and grandchildren. I believe she worried the most about my oldest sister, Jeanie. Who became ill when she was twenty-eight. She was diagnosed with Alpha One Antitripsin Deficiency, which is a genetic form of emphysema. This disease affects the liver, the heart, and breathing. At that time, there was no cure. However, my sister agreed to try any treatment that the medical professionals believed might extend my sister’s life. And help other people who also developed emphysema.

My mother began to dedicate her prayers to the belief that god would cure my dear sister, Jeanie.

My sister passed away when she was forty-one. I was living in California at the time. When my husband, Bob, was attending college. To say that my mother and my father were devastated would be an understatement of all time. Losing one of your children, no matter what their age, is a devasting loss for any parent.

Jeanie, my oldest sister, was never anything but kind and loving towards me as was her dear husband Patrick Kernan. Pat kept in touch with my family and myself long after my dear sister passed away. Patrick and Jeanie had two children, Jennifer and Patrick Jr. I can not imagine the loss they felt when their dear mother passed away or the suffering they endured during the years when Jeanie was ill.

It was a long time before I could stop crying whenever my dear sister Jeanie’s name was mentioned or she came into my thoughts. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten over the loss of my sister. She was intelligent and funny. I still miss her to this day. I don’t know if there is a heaven, but if there is, I look forward to seeing my dear sister there.

For many years I tried to comprehend why my sister, Jeanie developed emphysema and I could never really understand why she did. I wondered how my sister’s illness and ultimate loss of life affected her two young children, Patrick and Jennifer. I can not imagine that watching their dear mother become increasingly ill as she was with emphysema must have been devastating and unbelievably painful for them. Jeanie’s husband Pat was one of the most caring and loving husbands. He took care of Jeanie to the end. He will always hold a special place in my heart.

Jeanie taught me many things over my lifetime, such as real love and not giving up on somebody when things get really bad. You stand behind them and continue to care for them until the end. That human beings have a strong inner core and withstand and overcome many things without giving in, they lose their loved ones, and keep going one day at a time.

And now, here I am at the ripe old age of seventy-three. I don’t know how much longer I will live, but I know I intend to live every moment to its fullest. And someday, if there is a heaven or an afterlife, I hope to meet my dear mother and father, my sister, Jeanie, my brother, Harry, and his wonderful wife, Maryanne, again.

Life is a gift, and we try to embrace every moment of it. Keep in mind how time passes by quickly, and so do the people we have known and loved all our lives. Keep them in your heart and your thoughts. Don’t forget them.

I will post a story from several years ago on Wednesday; I am taking the week off.

Best Wishes, Susan A. Culver

I will post two of my stories from eight years ago on Wednesday and Friday for those who haven’t read them before.

Best Wishes, Susan Culver

I will be posting a story from several years ago and taking the week off from writing. I hope you will have a great week.

Susan A. Culver

Dear Write On Followers., I will be reposting one of my earlier short stories tomorrow as I’m taking a short break from writing,

I am taking a week off from writing Dear Followers this week. Please feel free to go to WRITE ON website and read any of my nearly three hundred stories and memoirs. Best Wishes and Happy New Year, Susan A. Culver

To read more, enter your email address to Subscribe to my Blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

I am taking the week off from writing. I will be posting one of my favorite stories from several years ago.

Best Wishes, Susan A. Culver – https://susanaculver.com

Did you ever have a run of bad luck, and no matter what you do, everything you touch goes wrong? Well, that is what is happening to me. It’s just one thing after another. I no sooner get one mess straightened out than something else happens. I’m at the end of my rope.

It all started about six months ago. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I thought, well, that didn’t go the way I had hoped, not even close. I had been recently laid off from my dream job. A job that I had worked hard for, one that I had planned over a long period of time. And then finally, I got the call it was my bosses boss that called me. He said, and I quote, “Jerry, this is Mort Thalman. We are considering you for the upper management position that just became available. Please come to my office for the corporate interview. It’s just a formality, but still, we would all like to have the opportunity to talk to you personally about what we have in mind for you. Are you interested?” 

I almost jumped up and down. I was so thrilled. And then I heard Mr. Thalman say,” Are you still there?” “Yes, yes, I’m here. I’m on my way up right now. “ And I practically flew out my office door and up three flights of stairs. When I arrived at his office, I knocked madly at the door about five times, and then I heard Thalman’s secretary say, “Come in, come in. For heaven’s sake.”

I tried to calm down a bit. I took a deep breath and tried to walk calmly into Thalman’s office, and I said, “Good morning, Mr. Thalman asked me to come up to his main office.”

“Yes, I know. Just go straight through the door right there. They are all waiting for you.” And then she put her head down and continued working on her computer. I headed towards the door. As I knocked on the door, I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. I heard a gruff voice say, “Come in, come in. We’re waiting for you.”

I walked through the door and, low and behold, sat all the big wigs of the company, and they looked at me, and I said, “Good morning.” And one of the corporate bigwigs whose name I didn’t know said, “Please take a seat at the end of the table. We will try not to make this too difficult.”

And what followed was nothing short of an inquisition. I kid you not. They asked me about every job I ever had, starting with my high school job of delivering newspapers in the small town I grew up in, which was Mt. Ephraim, New Jersey. After at least forty minutes, they arrived at my current position of Account Executive for new accounts. And then Mr. Thalman said, “Let’s take a few minutes break. I had my assistant order some coffee and donuts.” “We will be discussing with you what opportunity we have in mind for you. Oh, here comes the coffee and donuts. Relax for a few minutes.” They all started eating the donuts as if they hadn’t eaten in a week, and gulping coffee like it was the last cup they were going to get. My mouth was dry, and my stomach was turning. I sure wasn’t going to eat donuts. I sat down and took a couple of deep breaths. And I waited for them to go forward. I took several drinks of water and tried to swallow it without choking. I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous except when I was applying to Temple University, and I was interviewed by the Dean of the School.

I tried to maintain a calm demeanor. But, that couldn’t stop my hands and forehead from sweating. My throat felt dry and raspy. Finally, I asked if I could have a drink of water. I gulped it down so fast that I started choking. The secretary handed me a napkin and smiled down at me. Somehow, that smile did the trick, and I started breathing more normally and calming down. After all, I told myself this wasn’t the only job in the world. If I didn’t get this one, I had confidence that eventually, I would be hired, and I would excel at whatever I set my mind to.

After about twenty more minutes of questioning me, they asked me to step out of the office until they called me back. It seemed like a lifetime before that happened. Finally, the secretary said, “They’re ready for you now. Please follow me.” And so I did. When I reentered the office, I looked at each of their faces, but no one gave anything away. And then Mr. Thalman said, “Congratulations, we have all agreed that you are the man for the job. And he stood up and shook my hand. It was the best day of my life.

And so, I started my new position the following week. And for five years, I worked from morning until night. And I was successful. I received raises in my pay grade every year. And in the fifth year, I was offered a new position at the corporate headquarters. And I accepted it, thinking I’ve had the world at my feet, and that nothing was going to stand in my way to the top.

And then suddenly, without any warning that I can ascertain, little things started to go wrong. At first, it seemed inconsequential. My computer developed some weird glitches, and the IT department couldn’t find the problem. In the end, they decided to provide a new computer. So, for a little while, it was smooth sailing.

The next thing that happened was one morning, I was running late, and the traffic was heavy and unbelievably congested. It was bumper to bumper. And then, out of the blue, two cars ahead of me, a guy driving a Volva hit his brakes. And the car in front of me did the same, and I rear-ended him. It was awful. And just when I thought, oh, it’s not that bad, a car rear-ended me. Now, my car, one that I loved with all my heart, was ruined front and back. I started crying right then and there. I was still crying when the state trooper came over to my driver’s side window to see if I was injured. He found me crying like a baby. I couldn’t even manage to calm down enough to answer his question. I just sat there and cried as if I just lost my best friend. About a half hour later, a tow truck came by and towed my car, with me sitting in his front seat, crying the whole way. 

A couple of months after the CAR ACCIDENT, That’s how I always referred to it in all caps, THE CAR ACCIDENT. I was finally ready to buy a new car. I had been carpooling with a co-worker of mine. I was still somewhat trepiduous about driving, but I was somewhat confident in my ability to drive again. For the most part, I was right, but if anyone got too close, I would start hyperventilating and break out in a sweat, and my heart would start beating like a snare drum.

The next unexpected event was that my immediate boss quit because he found a better-paying position with a competing corporation. It took a while for my group to come together again and work as a team. I eventually was moved up to a higher position. Which was great, except I was now working twelve-hour days, and I was totally exhausted mentally and physically worn out.

As a result, my health started to fail, I started having asthma, and I hadn’t had any symptoms in years. It was just awful. I decided perhaps it might be psychosomatic and made an appointment to see a therapist. The therapist listened to my whole tale of woe and decided I had developed PTSD. He put me on Seratonin. It evens out my behavior, so I don’t overreact to any event that might occur.

There was a peaceful lull that lasted about four months. And I thought, oh thank god, that’s over. And things can finally go back to normal. And for a while, it did. And then, late one night, I received a call from my mother’s neighbor. She told me that my mother, who was in her mid-seventies, had taken a fall and was taken in an ambulance to the hospital. Either I come and take care of her, hire someone to stay at the house with her, or put her in a nursing home. She wouldn’t be able to live on her own anymore.

So, I had to take time off from my job and go down to Florida to take care of my mother. I hadn’t been there in over a year. My boss tried to be understanding, but he told me to please come back in a week’s time, or there was going to be a big problem.

I flew to Florida to save time. It was a short flight considering how far Florida is from where I live. I had called several Home Care companies in the area where my mother lived and arranged to meet four possible home caretakers. I was sure I could handle the whole issue and be back to work in less than a week. But, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I had contacted my mother’s physician to see if it was possible for my mother to go home two days after I arrived in Florida so I would have time to interview the possible caretakers. He said, “Yes, of course. We wouldn’t be able to release her unless there was going to be a family member or a skilled caretaker in her residence. I thanked him and gave him my contact information.

I interviewed two women and a young man. I was surprised when a man showed up because I guess I never really considered a man would want to care for an older woman. And when I put some deeper thought into it, I realized that there are men who are nurses and caretakers and doctors. So, of course, there would be men who would work as caretakers.

That afternoon I waited for the first woman to show up. I hoped that she would be willing to do some housekeeping and laundry because my mother’s house looked like a bomb had hit it, literally. There were clothes, dirty towels, filthy sinks, and food that was spoiled sitting on every surface from the kitchen to her bedroom. I kid you not. It was absolutely disgusting. My first impulse when I walked through the front door was to turn and run back into my rental car and back to the airport.

I spent the first several hours cleaning the kitchen from floor to ceiling, changing the filthy sheets and bedspread on my mother’s bed, but worst of all was her bathroom. It looked like the bathtub and the shower hadn’t been clean in, well, forever. The more I saw, the quiltier I felt my mother only had me, and obviously, she hadn’t been able to depend on me. I had failed her completely. She had been living in a pigsty. I cried for the first half-hour I was there. I had to stuff tissues in my nostrils to keep the stink out. Because the smell made me want to throw up, I vowed that I would never allow this to happen to my mother again, I was going to have to get a full-time caretaker or have her move into a facility for aged people who could no longer live independently. I knew my mother would hate it, but anything was better than how she had been living up until now.

That afternoon I interviewed three people for the caretaking position, two middle-aged women and one young man named Joseph, who looked to be about twenty years old, but told me he was twenty-nine and he had amazing references and had done this kind of work since he was twenty after he had taken care of his own mother who developed early onset Alzheimers. I hired him after checking all his credentials. He said he would arrive the morning of my mother’s release from the hospital and was even willing to go and pick her up from the hospital.

All that night, I tossed and turned in the hotel bed. I kept waking up and having flashes of the condition of my mother’s house when I first saw it. At one point I started crying. I felt so ashamed of myself for not keeping in contact with my mother and being completely unaware of her circumstances. I vowed once again that I would never allow such a thing to happen again.

The next morning I slowly rolled out of the fold-out bed and stood up. I felt hungover, even though I didn’t have anything to drink. I was just exhausted from no sleep and worry. I took a quick shower, threw on my clean clothes, turned on my GPS, and headed to the hospital to pick up my Mother. Steven, the new caretaker, promised that he would be at my mother’s house and make sure everything was in order. And I believed him.

I took a deep breath, and when I arrived at the hospital, I spoke to my mother’s physician. And he assured me that, luckily, my mother was not injured physically, but was quite frail, since it appeared as if she hadn’t been eating properly. And probably skipping meals since she stated that she didn’t like eating alone. I felt a tear run down my face, and many more followed. The doctor put his arm around me. And that made me cry even more. And I kept apologizing for the state my mother was in and what had happened to her. And I was lucky she hadn’t died. He kept saying,” Now, now, you’re here now. And I know you will do everything you can to make sure nothing further happens to your mother.”

The nurse followed me into my mother’s hospital room and said, “Mrs. Taylor, your son, Jerry is here to take you home. I’m sure you are more than ready to get out of this hospital bed and back in your own bed. You have my number, or you can call your personal physician if you have any problems or if you have questions. I hope you are back to your own self asap. And with that, he turned his back and was gone. I stood there next to my mother, who I hardly recognized since she had lost so much weight. I started to cry again. I tried to gain control of myself. I wasn’t a crier, but the guilt of my mother’s condition and the condition of her home was overwhelming. My mother said in a low tone, “Please, Jerry, it’s alright, you are here now. Please, please, can you get me out of here? I hate hospitals. I was so afraid I was going to die here alone in this room. I’m so happy to see your handsome face.”

These were the kindest words that my mother ever said to me, and once again, more tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t know what was happening to me. I said, “Yes, yes, let’s get you home now. I want you to know that I hired a wonderful young man to help take care of you and your house until you have fully recovered. And maybe you will decide that you would like him to continue staying with you after you feel better. But, I let you decide.

About twenty minutes later, I had my mother checked out and taken in a wheelchair out to the car that I had waiting at the curb. We had a quiet ride home to her house—neither one of us knew what to say. Finally, my mother said, “Oh, Jerry, thank you so much for coming. I love you so much and have missed you with all my heart. I’m sorry the house looks so terrible, I just haven’t had any energy to keep up with it, and maybe I didn’t care anymore. I felt so alone in that house, and I couldn’t think of a reason to go on anymore.”

When we arrived at my mother’s house, my mother said, “Yeah! We’re home. I awkwardly helped my mother to the house, and when we got up to the door, Joseph was standing there with a wheelchair and said, “All aboard.” My mother looked at me and then looked at Joseph and laughed. And Joseph easily lifted her up and placed her gently onto the wheelchair. “Here we go, hold on, Madam.” My mother said, “Oh my, two young men taking care of me, how wonderful.”

And that, my friends, was a wonderful new beginning for my mother and me and an end to the “Bad Luck.”

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