Chapter Five
Consecration
The extent of my freedom—or isolation—dawned on me when I made phone calls to put out job feelers. I wanted to cash in my chips for favors performed for others. But each “debtor” knew why I was calling before I could drop a hint, and the universal answer was “No.”
During my first few calls, I broke the news subtly. Even my friends stonewalled me. They turned deaf ears to my unemployment. And they certainly refused to bring up the subject themselves. Then, desperately, I began blurting out my reason for calling: “I need a job!” I could picture the person on the other end recoiling from the phone. People either answered with blunt negativity or stammered over how to deny me any help. To paraphrase their thoughts: “I’d like to help you, but my ass will be in a sli
