I took the job.

In case you were wondering, I decided to take the job.  My brother (whose opinion I would like to respect) was strongly against me taking it, but....If I'd done everything HIS way, I would live in a condo in the City, with no animals and an amazing TV.  (Instead, I live on a run-down farm 90 miles away from The City, house and yard is full of animals, and don't even have TV at all.  So.....taking my brother's opinion with a grain of salt, I opted to go to work for the county gov't in the City.  I start Sept. 13.

I'll drive an hour, then catch a bus for the remaining hour.  That does make me a LITTLE nervous, because if something happened to my mom, it'd be tough to get back to my car....but hopefully that won't happen....I also can stay at my friend Anita's if I don't want to drive home.

It's reasonably good money, just a smidge less than I was making before, and very good benefits.  I don't know anything about what I would have gone to school for anyhow....and some of the words of wisdom that my commenters shared with me were very thought-provoking.

Really.  All I want is a job to pay the bills, one that won't go overseas, one that will pay for DH's medications.  I honestly don't think I care too much about what kind of job that is.....

My brother is concerned about it being so far from home (even though it's actually 15 miles closer than the last job).  And he's concerned about the "diverse" clientele.  (What I heard, although he didn't use words to say it, was "You'll be working with all those [African American] people."  I'm not concerned about that.  I know there will be angry people of all backgrounds.  So what.  I work with angry mentally ill people all the time....I'm still ok....

Another driving factor was that if I can get the training for this position, maybe work there a few years (?) then when a similar position opens up in my county, I would (hopefully) be able to transfer and....viola--I'd have a good job close to home, even though it took a while.  If I went to school, depending on what I went for, I may not have that option....although, to be fair, if I went for computers, I probably could find something......

But in the meantime, there's the part about "live on unemployment for two years".  Not sure that's feasible, especially if DH becomes unstable again.....I'd rather have a job now that would pay the bills in that situation than MAYBE be able to make it through school and MAYBE have a job after a couple of years in that situation.....

I'm still not sure I'm doing the right thing.  But after listening to all the "economy's getting worse again" stuff on the radio, it feels pretty good to be thinking about "going to work" as opposed to "getting a pink slip".