By Betsy Brewer Brantner
Contributing Writer

Sometimes, the brutal actions of humans must sit beside us before we feel the shift in the world. We see people losing their jobs all around this country, and forget that many view their job not just as work, but as their calling. A calling is more than a job.

The wave of federal government layoffs impacts tens of thousands of public sector workers. The cuts have sparked concerns about economic instability, the strain on unemployment systems, and the disruption of essential government services. But, more importantly, what does it do to the individual’s psyche?

Bill Stuckey was recently a “layoff” as a result of federal job cuts. He worked three years for the Coast Guard and five years for the Department of Defense. He was a technical writer for those jobs. He wrote manuals and performed instructional design. You can recognize the importance of technical writing when you order something that must be “put together.” Directions and instructions are very important.

To relax, Bill writes novels. Writing was not just his work, it was his life. For Bill, writing is a calling. If he doesn’t write, he wonders how he will survive mentally and physically. It is not just the paying of bills that consumes him. His identity is defined by his writing.

Bill is one of those individuals who sees all the colors of the world. He is a gardener who thoroughly enjoys growing tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, beets and more. And he harvests them and preserves them by freezing or pickling. 

As he prepares the soil, plants the seeds and pulls the weeds, he is also smelling the earth, hearing the chirping of birds, and in essence writing a beginning and an ending. Every act of his consciousness is using all of his senses. He then translates that into the written word and tucks that away for future writing. 

So when Bill was told that his contract was up with the federal government, he felt like something was ripped from his soul. Both he and his manager were surprised.

“I thought it would go on longer,” he explained. “What I was working on was very important. My project was due in June. It did seem suspicious because the deadline was so close. I feel responsible for what I write. It is important to me and I know it is important to those who are using it as a training tool.”

Learning he was let go knocked the wind out of Bill, just like thousands of other workers who were laid off. They felt a shift in their world. Maybe they asked themselves, “How do I feed my children?” or “Where will we live?” or “How will I pay my bills?”

 Or, worse, they were left wondering, “Who am I without my job?”

“I had put aside money for a house,” he said. “Now, I’m scrambling to find something that will subsidize what I lost. You never think it is going to be you. There was no warning. You go to work each day thinking you are giving it 100 percent. Your boss says you are doing good work. And then you are fired. You always think your skillset is good enough to keep you going. Now I wonder if it is.”

Like many contract workers, he felt that when the one contract was done, his dedication and the caliber of his work would get him another. But he was stopped. There was no severance pay.

“The rug was pulled out from under me,” he said.

But Bill is a fighter. He always has been.

“I’m glad it is gardening season. I have that,” he said.

But what about his self-worth? 

“I’m hurting financially. I know there are many government sector workers in the same position. Each story is different, but no less important,” he said.

Now he plans to work full-time looking for another job. 

Bill explained, “I actually will work my normal business hours searching for a job. This has disrupted my life. I planned to buy a house this year. Next year houses will be more expensive. Nothing is going down in price. I think people are not going to be able to afford things. I hope it will drive prices down.”

A lot of people across the country are hoping for lower prices, especially for necessities like food and shelter. Meanwhile, the laid-off person will carry some baggage with them to their next job.”

“I will be anxious when I get another contract,” Bill said. “I will wonder how I will fit in with another team. Ideally, I have to be optimistic now. Negativity serves no purpose. I can take solace in knowing that my name was attached to some things. I had a class of cadets that we created, who worked with my training manuals for different branches of the service. I am proud of what I did. I enjoyed working for the government. I felt that I was serving my country, and I was teaching others who also served their country. Now, I just try to stay positive and hope another job will come my way. I need to work.”