Tomorrow I have to go back to work. In Michigan, we don’t start until after Labor Day. It’s supposed to promote tourism. That might work if the gas prices weren’t so high now. Anyway, I am returning after being laid-off. In June I received a letter saying that there would be a lack of work for this school year; therefore, I wouldn’t be needed. Okay, it was the third time in three years for me anyway, so it wasn’t a surprise. I’ve only lived in West Michigan for four years. Sometimes I wonder why I left a twenty-six year stable job to come here. I did it to marry a man who lives here. Little did I know work would be so bad in this area. Now, I take it one year at a time.
It will be good to go back and see friends and students. I’m in a new position this year. They received extra funds from Title 1; therefore, I get to return! I haven’t slept in much so getting up early shouldn’t be a problem. The problem will be going to bed at night. I’m a night person, and a writer, and nighttime is when I write, mostly. We didn’t go on vacation this summer, and I don’t have to leave lake property or a cabin in the woods to come back. I shouldn’t have a problem at all. That probably isn’t so with others who love their summer vacations, and the “no summer schedule” to give up. Since I didn’t go wild all summer and didn’t do anything special, it won’t be hard to go back to work. It will be hard to leave my writing, though.
MONEY! That is one of my biggest motivations, other than loving the type of job I do. Yes, I was laid-off, and I did apply for unemployment. Guess what? I missed it by seven cents. So, all summer I didn’t receive unemployment conpensation. I applied for an extension, which was recently reinstated. Last week I was informed that I qualifed for an extension of unemployment benefits for eight weeks. That’s four checks. Now I’m going back to work. Hmmm, how does this work? I’ll know tomorrow when I call them. There’s a form to fill out, too. My employer received one. How confusing that will be to them, knowing I am coming back to work, and filing for an extension. Again, I wonder how this will work. Will I receive it for the three weeks left of lay-off after they approved my extension? I’ll find out tomorrow. I’ll find out everything tomorrow, when I go Back to Work After Summer.
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel 
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