When is enough, enough?

I know several people,  myself included, who are going through hard times right now.  When is enough, enough?  How do you deal with hard times? When do you suck it up and keep telling yourself that others have it worse than you do? When do you give up? Do you ever give up?  Can things really get worse?  How do you react and deal with other people offering advise on your situation?  Are they truly being helpful or are they just being nosy and judgemental?

I have been supported by many many people during my illness and unemployment.  BUT, it does get "old" when people think they're offering help by drilling me about my job hunt.  Job hunting is a full time job. Sometimes I do it online, sometimes I search the paper and sometimes I pound the pavement. I've applied at every kind of job imaginable.  Fast food tells me I'm over qualified and will waste their money by going through the training, working a little bit and quitting when I find a better job.  Office type work tells me I'm not qualified at all. I ask how to gain experience and they can't give me an answer. Retail tells me they're only hiring seasonally and they'll interview me and lead me on and then disappear.

I put a hold on my job hunt while I'm going through radiation. I do have two possible leads, but the one (my dream job) is only temporary.  We will see.  That would be an awesome job. But, it's very short...as in one month or so.  BUT, maybe, just maybe, it could and would leave to a permanent job. It's with the county government and I don't think it's likely because we all know of the budget cuts and hiring freezes.  But, a girl can dream, right?

If I didn't dream, I'd have nothing. Seriously. I keep it realistic but I do dream. I dream of marrying my fiancee wherever we want to get married and not having to go to a different state (heck, DC isn't even a state!) to do it.  I dream of finding a job. Yes, any job. But really a job that I enjoy and that fulfills me. I dream of not being sick. I dream of being able to walk down the street or in the mall or in the grocery store, holding my fiancee's hand without people looking at us. Sometimes the looks really get to me, other times I ignore them.  I dream of not having to post things on my facebook page about gay rights. I dream of everyone getting along.  I was raised to treat everyone the same. So, when I see people being discrimminated against, it really bothers me.

When is enough enough?  How do we stand up for ourselves?  Are you silently angry?  Do you confront people?  I have learned, through my bad temper, that I have to walk away. I will write about it but not confront a person. If I confront them, I will probably get into some sort of trouble. I may write that person a letter- mailed or unmailed.  I may talk about it with someone.  I may let it fester inside of me. I try not to do the latter.

When is enough, enough?  When are we no longer strong enough to stand up for ourselves?  What do we do then?