"Down Time" or what to do when we reach middle age and still need to make money.

It looks like the project will take longer than expected, which, of course, I should have expected. The theatre company we’re working with thinks it will be up and running in two years, though there should be opportunities before then to do benefits and occasional shows. Given the lack of current pertinent information, I thought this might be a good opportunity to discuss how I got here--here being planning to open a movie theater in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

Prior to 2005, I taught for ten years in San Jose, California. Most of that time I taught composition to college freshmen, but I also worked as a tutor in writing centers and as a substitute teacher. I moved to Mississippi in June of ’05 and taught for two weeks at a prep school before Katrina arrived. After that, I worked on our broken house for a year, living off SBA loans and donations from family and friends. When the house was nearly finished, I went back to work as a substitute at a local high school.

I took the job because my wife and I were considering leaving (we’d only been living in Bay St. Louis two months before the storm). California was definitely on the list, but so were Ashville, North Carolina, Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Memphis. All these towns were closer to my wife’s parents, and all of them were booming in one way or another--real estate values had been on the rise for a long time in Fayetteville and Ashville, and the property in Memphis was extremely undervalued. After visiting Fayetteville, we zeroed in on Memphis and took several trips there. It is a great town and we got close to relocating there, but for a variety of reasons (cost of relocation, uncertainty about jobs, and our connection to Bay St. Louis) we ended up staying put.

I subbed all that year and did a resume blitz during the summer targeting colleges in the area. I did my graduate studies at the University of New Orleans, and I hoped I could return there, working in an office or teaching. The plan was to either commute, Bay St. Louis is an hour away, or rent an apartment in New Orleans and live there during the work week. I went to three interviews, one at a community college and two at UNO, but I didn’t get a job. It was, however, a good experience. I got to spend time with my mentor and met several administrators who went out of their way to be helpful. Still, when August came around, I was unemployed and had to hustle to find work. I found two jobs: working banquets at a casino and teaching composition at a local community college. These jobs had their appeal, especially teaching composition, but the salaries were low and there were no benefits.

At this point, my wife and I are still in the hustling mode. Currently, I have three jobs: working in a restaurant, teaching at a GED center, and substitute teaching. My wife also works and you know what, we’re barely getting by. We’re not alone. A lot of people here and all over the country are going through this. It’s a difficult way to live, one that engenders lots of soul-searching. The central issue--how to find a job you enjoy--becomes more complex when you’re asking that question in middle age. My wife and I have sat down many times and discussed our options. But the thing is our idea of what work is has changed. Most jobs, especially those with high salaries and benefits, expect employees to work long hours that often keep them from having their own lives. It’s a Catch 22. My wife and I want to paid well and receive benefits, but over the years we’ve developed rich personal lives we’re unwilling and unable to give up.

So what do we do? What do thousands of baby boomers do when they reach middle age and beyond but still need to make money? The "golden years" can easily become the "stressful years" when living costs exceed social security and savings. I saw that firsthand when my mother’s savings dried up in her seventies. There’s no easy solution for older people who lack financial resources, but my wife and I, after chasing our tails for months, finally hatched a plan. That plan, opening a movie theater, will, we hope, allow us to pay our bills and enjoy our lives. 

Starting a new business is quintessentially American, but the fact is many if not most new businesses fail. I can’t say for sure we’ll get to where we want to be. But with the help of AARP, who made us winners in their "Dream Job" contest (a little luck never hurts) and provided this forum and much needed advise, we just might. That said, there are still times when it’s hard to imagine things getting better. However, these "down times" are becoming few and far between. It certainly helps to be in touch with people in similar situations, to read their stories and comments, and realize that, despite the evidence to the contrary, we’re not alone.