Today is the first Monday in 30 years I’ve been without a job, otherwise known as unemployed. Last Thursday I, along with about a dozen of my coworkers, were told our jobs were eliminated due to the fact the company we worked for isn’t making any money. Lay-offs. I was there for 15 years. So here I am now, at home, my first day of not being employed by anyone. It is sort of weird.
In order to stay on track (and stay sane) I’ve made a list of things to do while I’m unemployed.
- File for unemployment insurance. Check. Did that already.
- Look for work. I spent three hours looking this morning.
- Keep a notebook with all of the job site passwords, user names and all things related.
- Update resume. Tomorrow. Today it is too painful.
- Clean the house. Not sure if I’ll get to that one.
- Plan dinner.
- Act like a stay at home mom. HA HA HA HA. Like I’m going to do THAT. Seriously so much of my identity has been identifying with the title “working mom.” I’m an amazing MOM and corporate type professional. Yes, I own suits and heels. I’d rather work in jeans but…I can do anything.
- Get the mail.
- Notice that the crowd in the grocery store is different in the morning than it is after work. The most fun are the late night around midnight shoppers.
- Turn the sound up on the radio.
- Think about going to the gym. GO TO THE GYM.
- Avoid the kitchen.
- Fill the bird feeder.
- Make a huge cut out of a foot and make Sasquatch tracks on the trail in the woods behind my house.
- Dance because NOBODY is looking.
- Clean out my car.
- Think about what I really want to do with my life.
- Keep positive.
- Keep positive.
- Keep positive.
- Stretch in the middle of the day.
- Network. Contact everyone.
- Try something new.
- Think about how great I am and what wonderful skills and talents I have.
- Take a deep breath.
- Make up more bad puns to annoy my husband.
- Have lunch with my husband.
- Hang out with my husband during the day. He owns his own business so I can show up with the dog anytime I want and even give him a kiss.
- Figure out a few interview outfits.
- Clean my closet.
- Buy cat food.
- Pick my daughter up from school on Monday. I’ve worked all of her 15 years so the only day I’ve ever been able to pick her up is Friday.
- Learn to roller skate. There is an adult class on Tuesday mornings. I’d be safer sky diving or swimming with sharks but hey, I like to live dangerously.
- Get up every single morning by 6:30. Stay on a schedule. Don’t just sit around.
- Stay un-lazy.
- Create art.
- Write.
- Blog. (which is writing but a different kind of writing)
- Read.
- Finish my novel because there is a spot waiting for it on top of the best seller list.
- Apply for jobs even if it is a trip-to-Mars long shot.
- Don’t be afraid of people thinking I’m strange or different.
- If I question anything the answer is always “go for it.”
- The other answer is, “yes.”
- Smile. A lot.
- Don’t sell myself short.
- Be brave.
- Get enough sleep.
- Put stuff on ebay.
- Develop my own reality TV show.
- Become a YouTube star.
- Call NPR and tell them I want a job. I have a lot to say and know a lot of interesting people and things. I also have a great radio voice.
- Dance some more.
- Pet the dog.
- Pet the cats.
- Look up old boyfriends on the internet. HA HA HA just kidding, I did that years ago.
- Have faith in myself and my God given abilities. I’m not a religious person but I have untapped talents that need to be used – NOW – or I might get struck by lightning.
- Make myself believe that now is my time.
- Keep telling myself “NOW IS MY TIME.”
OK I’m off to the gym.
~ Marla
West Coast Review 