Laid off yesterday - seeking support here?
Hey, all! Longtime DU'er here. Just got laid off (in a series of successions over the years) from a position as a paralegal, a career I've been in for over 20 years. Was working for a solo practitioner who finally realized she couldn't afford me.
I'm over the hill (can "see 60 from my house"
, but still a lot of kick left. To be honest, the job was miserable. I'm ready to do something completely different. I need to be creative. Before I got my paralegal training (yet after I'd earned my BA degree...) I waitressed for a number of years, in some great places. I am "called" to go back into food in some way. Looking at buying a little old abandoned bakery /lunch spot in my small town. Or perhaps starting out by working as a baker, or even a waitress!
I know I will NEVER spend my days pointing and clicking meaninglessly, all day. I also know my marketability as a paralegal in our area is limited or nil. But will anyone hire an old warhorse with bad feet, is my quandry?
So I'm teetering between an idealistic, follow my dreams mode (with a major consideration being financing), and panic, I guess. Fortunately I do have unemployment compensation available, for the short-term. And some ideas about using my professional background, over the long-term. It's the mid-term, I guess - the paycheck, I'll really miss!
Does anyone have any ideas or experience with getting hired over / around late 50s - 60s? I'm assuming I'm looking at pay cut, no benefits - much less retirement. To be honest, I'm ready to check out of the BS professional world and kick it back to serving good food to happy people in lovely settings! 
= new reply since forum marked as read
Can you paralegal freelance for bit, until you get your feet on the ground? Don't know what the rules & regs are there. You'd have to market the hell out of it until you got the clientele you want, but it would be worth it in the end, (I think!).
JIMNSHO - dining out sucks lately. Instead of good food and a friendly atmosphere, it all seems to be an "experience" now, with frou-frou foods and not really filling costing an arm and a leg. Whatever some celebrity chef says, goes, whether it will sell in Peoria or not. Whatever happened to good Italian-style food? Again, JMNSHO.
One of the most successful places I've seen was a hot lunch place that was located around warehouses and manufacturers. Not so many these days, and with all the temp-job positions, would they have the money for a meat & 2-3 sides? There would be lines around the building, it was small with about 10 tables & 8 counter top seats, and served great down home food. Not all hot plate lunches, would offer good salads and sandwiches too. Just a thought. They also charged a very fair price, hence, the line around the building.
How do I put this in writing on a public forum? Have you ever watched "Weeds?" I like her initial baked goods delivery service in the beginning. If you live in a medical cannabis area, that would definitely be an avenue to explore. I understand the clinics buy from local bakers because that is definitely specialized. Find you some magnificent recipes, just a few, and explore that option.
I understand that restaurant equipment is a good deal used, since so many close shop quickly. Instead of expanding into a whole restaurant, just a small kitchen in a small space may bring in a couple of bucks. Just a thought
