Author: Mark Reynolds
Date: April 27, 2025
I never imagined I’d end up here. In 2018, I had a good job, a bright future, and everything seemed to be falling into place. But everything changed when I lost that job. It felt like a punch in the gut, but I decided to take it as an opportunity to better myself, so I set my sights on higher education abroad. I spent the next 1.5 years preparing for it—studying, saving money, making plans. But then, in 2020, the pandemic hit. And just like that, my dream came crashing down. I had to cancel everything, all that hard work was wasted.
So, I decided to look for a job. But things weren’t as simple as I hoped. With a gap of two years, I couldn’t land anything. The longer I stayed unemployed, the more the gap widened. At first, I kept telling myself it was temporary. But now, in 2025, I still don’t have a proper job. My confidence is shattered, and I feel like I’m just stuck. The dreams I once had are distant, and every rejection email is a reminder that I’ve become what I never wanted to be—someone who failed.
The worst part is how my parents look at me now. My mom used to be so proud, but now, I can see the disappointment in her eyes. She never outright says it, but I can feel it. I used to be the best student, the one who everyone thought would go places. Now, I’m just a failure in their eyes.
To make matters worse, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. I couldn’t bear to see her suffer, but I couldn’t do much to help. I borrowed money from friends and family for her treatment, taking out loans I had no idea how I’d repay. But thankfully, she survived. Now I’m left with the burden of returning that money while still trying to keep the house together—and I don’t even have a job to make that possible.
I don’t know how things got to this point. I feel like I’ve let everyone down, especially my mom. I’m trying to stay strong, but the weight of everything keeps getting heavier. I just want to get my life back on track, but it feels like I’m constantly taking one step forward and two steps back. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep pretending that everything will get better when it feels like nothing is changing.
