Unemployed

On the way home from my last day at work, all of a sudden I realized, I'm unemployed. No more schedules, no more commute, no more meetings, no more work overload, no more paycheck. There's the rub. Being unemployed would be great if I was paid to do it.

I've been unemployed several times. Sometimes by choice and sometimes not. I will never forget the time I was fired by the first architect I worked for. It happened two weeks after he gave me a big raise because he was so impressed with a presentation I made to an important client. The only reason I could conjure up for getting the ax was maybe he came to his senses and realized he couldn't afford the raise. It may also have something to do with the fact that his wife was jealous of the time he spent with me at lunches, late night deadlines, and trips to visit a job we were working on at the Oregon Coast. I was in my 20s and he was definiteley an older man.

One time I counted up all the jobs I've had since college. In 35 years the total is at least 20. I am in awe of people who stay at the same job for 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years. They are the solid individuals who keep things running. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

I may not have stayed anywhere longer than 5 years, but I've sure had some interesting experiences. Finally after trying everything from catering to carpenetry, I know what I want to do when I grow up. Now I just have to figure out how to get paid.