The words still haunt me. The words, "enjoy unemployment" effortlessly sashayed out of the mouth of a man in his mid-70's, who is at a point in his life where he is looking back on it. You would think that he is a very sentimental sort, and wishes more than anything in the world that a real time machine exists to fix all the wrongs in his life. It's strange because I am at that point now, and I am nowhere near 70 years of age.
Last week, I had a nice visit with a man (and his lady friend) who is also a tax client of my husband. I decided to make it a point to "network" (as much as I disagree with it) with all of his clients because it is apparently all the rage to getting a job these days. When I mentioned that I was out of work and looking for a job, he replied, "Enjoy unemployment."
"Oh. Okay." I said, and that wasn't really the answer I was looking for.
I must have given him a strange look, as I often unconsciously do whenever anyone tells me something out of the ordinary.
Then I got a little snippy; not towards him, but at my situation as a whole. I tried my best not to let him know that. Old folks don't always say or do things that coincide with the world as it is today. So I was ready to blow off his advice, until he said this:
"When I was working, I was very dedicated to my work. I had no time to do any of the other things that I've always wanted to do. My career was my hobby. You don't want to have to look back at your life regretting all the things you never got a chance to do."
There. There is where he got my attention.
Intrigued, I said, "Well yes, but all the things I've always wanted to do involves money, and having a job to pay for these things might be a big help."
Not to be outdone, the man said, "Have you always wanted to play the piano? Have you always wanted to write a book? I'm talking about teaching yourself and take it from there. It doesn't always have to be about money."
I did not have any kind of retort. It was almost as if he was fiercely shaking me and saying "Snap out of it!" I didn't say anything at all. I just gave him a blank stare. I stared into his eyes for a few seconds, but in those few seconds, they told a lifetime of stories.
"There is a book I've always wanted to write about my family tree. It was something that I've always wanted to do for a really long time, but never had the time. That will change now, and I will finally have the availability to start this project. I'm very excited." he said.
At this point, I am bedazzled. When I was younger, I didn't take advice very well, especially from older folks (I still don't, but as I get older I've become more appreciative). I always blew off the older folks, thinking that the old folk are stuck in the big band era, and things that were acceptable then are acceptable today. I never took their advice seriously. After all, the person that knows me the best is, well....me. So how can I heed their advice when they're not fully aware of what is happening in the world around them?
Lately I have been spending much of my time recollecting on things that I should have done and shouldn't. I am guilty of focusing on a lot of "what ifs" and constantly wonder had I chose a different path, if I would have spotted the gold at the end of the rainbow. There a lot of things in my life that I absolutely wish I would have done differently, or better yet -- smarter. Recollecting, for me, is very draining on the emotions. After I think about what has occurred on my life, then I become analytical, and desire to construct some sort of pie graph and analyze my life that way. Let's just say I'm just wandering through this crazy thing called life. I become discombobulated when it comes to the calling of 'by the way, life stopped by.'
Bar and pie graphs aside, nothing will change my current situation, but I can make the best of it. I suppose that it is why the man's words hit me the way they did, because I do have the power to do anything I want to do -- to change things -- to rule the world. Sometimes we need little reminders like this to make us snap out of it. Life doesn't change. Life is full of obstacles. There are still heartaches, friendships, love, good times, and bad times in any era. Senior citizens are not the exception to the life rule. Those old folks....they have already lived a lifetime. And for some fogeys, they have lived so much of a life (good, bad, otherwise) that the youngins' can only fathom. As I get older, such advice becomes appreciative more than ever. I no longer think old folks are just trying to get hip with the kids today. It's more like, 'be satisfied with your life by the time you're my age,' and 'right now you're not ready -- but someday you will be.'
I am noting this here because it has everything to do with my job search. Much of my recollections reflect to my decision-making and my career. Being unemployed can really bring a person down. Four years ago I resigned from a reputable newspaper -- it was my favorite gig. It was a job that wore many hats while learning about all aspects of the industry. Now that industry is suffering, and I feel like I'm suffering with it. On a daily basis, I briefly wonder had I not chose to resign, would I still be there today?
I can't do anything about that now, but I can use the past to guide me into the future. In following the advice from my friend, I am teaching myself certain programs and applications to further enhance my skills in the job market. After that, I'm moving on to the piano.
