Middle-aged and Unemployed

Well, I find myself creeping up on 90 days of unemployment. My, how time flies when you are catching up on 10 years of Law and Order: SVU.

It isn't for lack of trying to find something meaningful, reliable and indoors. Indoors is big these days since my joints predict the coming weather patterns better than any computer can. I could, however, take something outside if it meant that I could maintain the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed: living in a house and paying my bills.

I have had a lot of time to think about how this has turned out and there are some benefits (seriously).

For example, I now have no excuse whatsoever for not accomplishing items that need to be done around the house. Gutter cleaning, leaf raking, closet de-junking, exercise. I have completed most of these things and many more (exercise is still on the "to-do list).

I have lost about 20 pounds, not because I have tried. Most likely it is because I am not guzzling an $800.00 dollar cup of Mocha Caramel Fruity Tooty Java Goody each and every morning on my way to work. I am not in an office that has such a broad variety of sweets that a dentist or two should be on constant stand-by, access to Chinese food of the Americanized type and stress. Stress is a big one.

Which brings me to a revelation that I have had, a not-so-small epiphany of the life changing kind. I didn't enjoy what I was doing. I detested the office politics, back-stabbing coworkers and the unwritten laws of who gets what kissed, when and how often.

The health insurance industry is, not so surprisingly, mainly female with the exception of the top brass. It is also a wickedly difficult arena to navigate, which surprised me since I am, and have been, a female all of my life.

I am a straight-forward sort. Give me a job to do and then get the heck out of my way. Give me a job to do and then hog-tie me and I get more than a little grumpy. I don't do "nuance" very well. I worked hard to make it in such male dominated industries as the print industry and the United States Marine Corps (Semper Fi). Male dominated industries are, from my experience, pretty straight forward.

I actually WANT to be successful, want to love my job as though it was an extension of myself, want to make a difference. Making a difference sure seems to be an out-dated ideology. Maybe I am a hippie hold over, a Beat generation wanna be, a graying T-Rex who still believes that putting your brain and heart together makes the best employee, leader and produces the best results.

I have many applications out on the web. Face to face would be better but the world has long since moved on from that archaic screening process.

During my next post I will begin a series of "lessons learned and helpful hints and tips" for those who find themselves in the same situation as Moi. Perhaps we T-Rexes can learn a bit from each other. In the meantime, stay positive and remember that there are others who are worse off than you are...for now anyway.