The Doors

Well, after a month or so of neglecting the blog, I am dusting it off. I'd like to report that I have been secluded on a tropical island with access only to fruity drinks instead of the internet. I wish I could say that I have been making my way around Europe with sporadic coverage and a bad signal. But alas, that is not the case.



I'll spare you the details but the bottom line is, I lost my job. Needless to say, my mind has been elsewhere. While most would argue that with all of this free time I should be a blogging machine, I have been trying to direct the majority of my brainpower to finding a job and being creative in my search.



Unemployment is a unique calamity. There is a very fine line between sounding off about your current situation and sounding bitter. I didn't want to use my blog as a venue for a pity party. It is what it is. I'm doing everything I can to direct my efforts to finding a new job.



Unemployment is also one of those awkward categories like money, religion, and politics. It tends to yield prophetic responses from people when you hit them with the news. People reach into their reserve of safe responses to get through the awkward moment. I can't help but make note and give commentary on some of the most popular responses to the words, "I lost my job".



1) "When God closes one door, he opens another." Really? He opens another? So far, the only door that I can tell He has opened is a doggie door built for a dachshund because I am still unemployed.



2) "This too shall pass." Lots of things pass. Gas, tornadoes, and people when they die. I don't see this as a comforting adage when you consider the other things that also "pass".



3) "Everything happens for a reason." This does absolutely nothing to comfort a person who has ceased to have money coming in. People win the lottery for a reason, too. Anyway I can get in THAT car of the EHFAR train?



4) "Is there anything I can do?" Um, yeah, there are a few things that come to mind but "YOU COULD HIRE ME" is the first one that leaps to mind.



5) "Hang in there." Here's a tip. Don't ever tell someone who is unemployed to "hang" anything.