Extreme Makeover: Reality Edition
It's been three months since I've last written a post. Not coincidentally, it's been three months since I lost my job. It's amazing what unemployment can do to your sense of reality.
When you are working, you think about all the things you would like to do if you just had enough time. You think about vacations, projects around the house, time with the wife and kids, books to read, movies to watch, etc. That's when your reality gets altered. You find yourself spending hours online looking through job sites, uploading your resume and applying for jobs. You find yourself doing the dishes ... mowing the lawn ... doing laundry ... fixing supper ... and so on.
I still have books to read, books to write, a desk to clean, and a closet and garage to sort through to find stuff to place in that ever elusive garage sale that I'm going to have "some day."
In the last three months I have washed a lot of dishes, done a lot of laundry (including ironing), made or helped make many meals, run countless errands and mowed the lawn God knows how many times. I'm not complaining, mind you. I don't mind doing my share around the house. My point is that all those grand dreams and schemes are still just that.
Now that the kids are home from school, I thought for sure I would get more time with the minions to do my bidding. For some reason that doesn't seem to have happened. I'm busier than ever chasing after them, breaking up squabbles and dealing with "I'm bored" issues.
It's not like it has been all work and no play. I have taken "me" days to go fishing, visit museums and take in a movie. We do have a vacation planned for later this summer. The kids will be slipping in and out of camps soon for Scouts and church. And, after I post this, the next thing I will do is get back to work on one of my books. It's way overdue.
Among the things I have been doing is donating time as a volunteer at Brazos Bend State Park and as a photographer for Comicpalooza. Sandy and I are also engaging in more volunteer opportunities at church. We may not have much in the way of resources, but we've sure got a lot of ourselves to give. Believe me when I say that I have a much greater feeling of accomplishment and self-worth doing volunteer work than doing the ol' 9-to-5 gig. That's not to say I don't want a full-time job, I do! I just can't allow myself to sit in front of this blasted computer all day looking for one. On that note, it's time to turn a new page and get back to the unreality of my life.
When you are working, you think about all the things you would like to do if you just had enough time. You think about vacations, projects around the house, time with the wife and kids, books to read, movies to watch, etc. That's when your reality gets altered. You find yourself spending hours online looking through job sites, uploading your resume and applying for jobs. You find yourself doing the dishes ... mowing the lawn ... doing laundry ... fixing supper ... and so on.
I still have books to read, books to write, a desk to clean, and a closet and garage to sort through to find stuff to place in that ever elusive garage sale that I'm going to have "some day."
In the last three months I have washed a lot of dishes, done a lot of laundry (including ironing), made or helped make many meals, run countless errands and mowed the lawn God knows how many times. I'm not complaining, mind you. I don't mind doing my share around the house. My point is that all those grand dreams and schemes are still just that.
Now that the kids are home from school, I thought for sure I would get more time with the minions to do my bidding. For some reason that doesn't seem to have happened. I'm busier than ever chasing after them, breaking up squabbles and dealing with "I'm bored" issues.
It's not like it has been all work and no play. I have taken "me" days to go fishing, visit museums and take in a movie. We do have a vacation planned for later this summer. The kids will be slipping in and out of camps soon for Scouts and church. And, after I post this, the next thing I will do is get back to work on one of my books. It's way overdue.
Among the things I have been doing is donating time as a volunteer at Brazos Bend State Park and as a photographer for Comicpalooza. Sandy and I are also engaging in more volunteer opportunities at church. We may not have much in the way of resources, but we've sure got a lot of ourselves to give. Believe me when I say that I have a much greater feeling of accomplishment and self-worth doing volunteer work than doing the ol' 9-to-5 gig. That's not to say I don't want a full-time job, I do! I just can't allow myself to sit in front of this blasted computer all day looking for one. On that note, it's time to turn a new page and get back to the unreality of my life.
posted by Joe Southern | 1:12 PM
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