Unemployment Week One:

I keep telling myself I know it’s going to be ok –

 I know it’s going to turn out better than before –

 Yeah. Yeah. I wish I could just relax about it. I had such a difficult time with the unknown and things I cannot control.

The career coach I was assigned is a woman with an androgynous name, like mine.  She’s very serious, professional (I guess that should be expected given what she does) and meticulous. It took us three weeks to write my resume. We went over and over and OVER all my experience, the jobs I had worked on, the skills that I had. She had to flesh all that out of me before we could phrase it into the well-honed thing that is my resume. Once completed, we started targeting companies that are still solvent during this economic turndown.  Letters written, and calls made and one sit down (not too shabby on my first week of unemployment) which, I’m still doing. My meetings with her are always early morning – 7 a.m. with me coming in usually with wet hair and in jeans. This woman is always in her crisp suit, looking very professional – again, what she gets paid for. One morning I had ridden the motorcycle to our meeting and came in with wet helmet head, ripped jeans, boots, etc. We were discussing my upcoming meeting with a targeted company and she looked at me and said, “I think you should wear a suit and we have to do something about that hair.” I know that she’s only seen me one way and has no idea whether I am capable (or not) of “cleaning up”. Instead of taking it personally I was very amused. I made a comment about dusting off the suit and combing my hair. I have a newly tailored pinstripe in the closet and clean up well but I loved playing with her. The next day I happened to come in with dry hair (as I hadn’t washed it that morning and it was left over from when I styled it the previous day for my meeting) and she said it looked nice. Amusement again. I wanted to say because I hadn’t showered but I just thanked her.

Yesterday, I went to the [shudder] Department of Labor to register for unemployment. I found out that the amount I get paid per week of no work is almost as much as teaching a motorcycle class. So, I could either sit on my butt and collect a check or make almost the same amount working my butt off. What work incentive!! Now I know why people get so complacent being unemployed. I could understand if the unemployment payments complimented a part time job salary but not the either or. Anyway, I have classes lined up for the next two weekends so I doubt I will draw anything soon. Happy Friday and I will leave you with the latest bumper sticker.