The waiting game

Being unemployed and actively seeking employment is a lot of waiting. You become patient in ways that you never quite thought that you could be. Maybe because you don’t have a choice, while for others, you are driven to the brink of near insanity. Memorizing all of the answers to Trivia Pursuit in hopes that one day you can crush your friends or family being the smartest person in the room, possibly the world as far as they know! Although I haven’t gotten to that point yet, I have gotten to the point of researcher extraordinaire.

We always say, “if only I had the time,” and since I don’t have the money, I have been investing my energies in research I can do with my time. So far I have written a book, developed a blog, began “social networking domination” minus the domination part, read all of the books I had been putting off while I was in school, took day trips to areas I had never been before in search of local and regional art, began book number two, and so many other little things that we never get to do enough of. Every day that I get to sleep in, I consider it a victory for all the others in the world who wish they could sleep in. I want to let them all know, just like a true Olympian, I'm not doing this just for myself, but for all of you too!

Until looking for a job this time in my life, I would only apply to one job at a time. I was always afraid that more than one job would want to hire me, and then I would have to make a choice. Plus I feel it is important to give my undivided attention to said job. Well, with this market, it has been my rule to try to apply to at least one job a day, which was something I was doing for months. This was not my idea, but when I told my husband I was applying and waiting, he explained that having choices was not such a bad idea. I have to admit I have been slacking. Something about how busy I have been with actual interviews has helped to discourse me, but also the fact that I feel like I applied for all of those jobs already.

So here is where the patience comes into play. Just as a fisherman waiting for the catch of the day, at times you need to wait. Take the time to invest your energies in things that you would not have time to do if you were working 40-50 hours a week. But you have no money you say? Who needs money to go for walk and look at the amazing leaves changing? Who needs money to go to the library? Who needs money to sleep in? Sure we all need money for the basic necessities. In some cases more than just the basics, such as the lovely people who provided me with student loans, they are sweet enough to take their payment direct from my account if I wanted, even though I kindly reminded them you needed an income for them to take the money, but they have faith I could find it…how sweet!

Just enjoy that there is a today, and while other people are so busy hating their jobs, hating how they can never sleep past 7:00 am, wishing they could stay in their pj’s all day, I smile at it. When I read on facebook all of the people who complain about their jobs I just smile, sometimes I laugh, but never do I disregard that fact that they get the opportunity to hate their job. I used to read those posts and think to myself, “well I sure wish I had a job to hate,” and wonder how anyone could complain when they were lucky enough to have a job and so many of us out there didn’t! But as time went on I began to think, “I better appreciate the time I have to do what I can, because so many others wish they could have this.” Of course in their dream scenario money still magically appears. So sometimes waiting is good, yes it can be painful, but I enjoy every day for what it is, because you never know when your life could totally change again, and I could join the ranks of worker bee once again.