Ego - Centric

Listening to the radio yesterday, I learned from some "expert" on a talk show that men's egos were tied up with their work, and wondered, "Where does that leave me?"

I'm female, and my ego is very tied up with my work. And now that I find myself pretty much without a job, my ego is feeling pretty bruised. Does that make me an aberrant female, or am I on the cutting edge of a trend?

Some background: I've been with the same small web development company for 10 years. I performed work primarily for one large client and that client is being reorganized out of existence by its corporate parent. I have no - or little - ongoing usefulness within my little company, so it looks like I'll be out of work very soon. And it hurts...a lot.

This isn't the first time I've lost a job, and every time the feeling has been very similar. You'd think I'd learn. But I've always taken my work very personally, and when I've lost a job, I've also taken it personally, no matter how many times someone says, "It isn't personal; it's just business."

I'm fortunate that I have friends and family that will support me emotionally and financially until I can find another professional home, but the damage to my ego has been done. My ego is bruised. I'm in mourning, grieving for these past 10 years and fearing the unknown future.