All in a day’s…

Posted by High Priestess Kang as Personal

…work.

If you are the daughter of my father, you know one very important thing: the value of work. Hard work. Self-sustaining work. Being unemployed does not dovetail with the way I was raised. I have had some form of paying job since I was twelve. I’m not sure about you (dear reader) but when I cannot exact all that is my foundation, I get a little…erm…a lot…depressed. Very depressed. The dark, overwhelming funk surrounds me.

True. I have battled depression for years. That’s another glorious trait from the family. Brooding depression. Historically, I have rebelled and fought against my depression through not-so-constructive ways: shopping, boozing and total escapism (I did leave the country at one point to drink my sorrows away).

So…idleness and depression are settling in. While it is very tempting to retreat to the land of literature and bed, I’m trying diligently to remain upbeat and positive. I’m still not smoking (oh…and how the scale reminds me of that!). Because I am unemployed, I’m not spending any money (rather challenging when I should be shopping for pressies for my family and friends). I have, unfortunately, had one major meltdown this past Friday. It wasn’t pretty. They never are. But I am truly determined to not let this unemployment, this idleness, get the best of me.

After one job interview this morning and a brief screening this afternoon, I have taken to the odious task of laundry. Currently, all whites are washing, drying, spinning and fluffing. I will have enough folding to keep me busy for at least an hour, I reckon. I want to talk a walk but my stomach has decided that is not going to be possible.

Then I decided to make a list of all the constructive things I plan on doing while unemployed and seeking another job. Let’s face it, I’m not really in the mood to write and I have never been disciplined enough to set aside time and write for the sake of writing. I write when the urge strikes…which is precisely why I will never write for a living. My, “I’m going to keep my chin up, be positive and productive list” includes:

~Closet Pogrom - since I cannot afford adopt a soldier, buy gifts for a needy child or make a monetary donation to a charity, I’m going to rummage through the closets (Dock’s included). Once all clothes that no longer fit or no longer worn are identified, I’m going to launder the lot and haul it to GoodWill. Charity issue resolved.

~Closet Reorg - The laundry room, coat and den closets all need some significant attention. As with my last unemployment, when I attacked the pantry and kitchen cabinets, I’m going to attack these areas with such a passion, any hyper-organized individual would blush and feel inadequate.

~Bedroom Walls - They require paint. They will be painted.

Hopefully, this list will be enough to keep me positive, focused, content, happy, productive and rewarding until I can secure employment with an organization which fosters the same warm and fuzzy feelings. The tasks are all relatively easy and manageable, allowing me to have some sense of accomplishment and self-worth. The only thing I need to do is make sure I develop a normal sleep pattern and drag myself out of bed and away from the tv.

All easier said than done, of course.