I was recently laid off from a mismanaged mess of a company. The cherry on top of 10 years of trying to make the operations end of this company work was a botched dismissal with no severance.
I've been unemployed for about 5 weeks, and am using the time to figure out where I go from here. I've decided this is an opportunity, and I want to get it right.
As part of the process, I've been writing a blog, "A Life Recrafted". If you feel so inclined, pop on over there, and let me know what you think.
Today's diary is reposted from one of my blog entries, and is more than a little tongue-in-cheek. I know many of us here are in despair over joblessness. But follow me after the great orange thing-a-ma-bob to see the silver linings.
10. No more uncomfortable shoes.
Today, I'll wear this little number. Tomorrow, I might wear it again!
9. You can go to the gym whenever you want. Hell, you can go wherever, whenever. Think of the possibilities: visit the library, stroll in the park, geocache, loaf, give someone a compliment, walk your dog, walk someone else's dog, volunteer at the food bank, participate in your local OWS. Oh, and don't forget to send out that resume. The possibilities are boundless.
8. Pffffbt! to rush hour
Where am I in this picture? NOT.
7. Cooking is once again a pleasure
Let's whip up a turducken!
6. No need to defer to someone just because he pays your salary
5. Don't have to shoehorn the holiday season in between deadlines and deliverable crunches. (Put the "joy" back into Joyeux Noel!)
Forget it Ebeneezer! I'm outta here!
4. Home time isn't just chore time. The to-do lists don't have to be completed in 2 days. You can vacuum in the morning and go for a bike ride in the afternoon or plan menus after taking the pooch to the doggie park. Go grocery shopping the next day, on your way back from the beach. So damned civilized.
3. Don't need to calculate remaining vacation time before planning an out-of-state family visit
Hi Mom! Coming to visit this weekend! (Caution: be sure Mom is a fan of your new-found freedom)
2. Make-up is not a daily requirement (This is tricky. Could be a slippery slope into a more, um, natural look than is actually becoming)
1. Every day is Saturday, but without the crowds
Sure, there are downsides. Big ones. Less income, for instance. And there's the related, and critical health care issue, since it is inexplicably linked to employment. (And who can afford COBRA coverage when your income has just evaporated?) Throw in the discouraging job application/rejection process or being forced into a less-than-living-wage job, just to pay some bills, and you've got a whole helluva crummy situation.
It ain't easy, but for now, let's revel in throwing off The Company shackles.