The Perks of Being Unemployed

Okay, first, I never saw the movie (or read the book) I've referenced here, but my daughter talks about it all the time. And second, before you say that there couldn't possibly be any perks of being unemployed, read on. And know that I can only write this with a sense of humor because starting Monday, I will be anything but unemployed, at least for the next few months of soaps online production.

So, without further ado---

1. You learn a little more about the people in your building. I never would have known about the elderly man who sits in the lobby, either alone or "holding court," all day every day or the woman who comes home midday to walk her dog when no one else can. I never would have known that I was far from the only person looking for work--it has been a way more common situation than I'd imagined.

2. You learn a little more about your apartment. I would like to say you keep it a lot cleaner, but that would be a baldfaced lie.

3. You experience a school bus strike not just as an untenable monkey wrench in your daily schedule, but as a chance to see new things with your kids and encourage their independence.

4. You have the ability to decide on a dinner and buy the ingredients that day to cook it. (Okay, I did this probably fewer than ten times over the course of a year, but...)

5. You have time not just to keep in touch with old friends, but to make new ones, and to cultivate those friendships so that they will continue even when there isn't as much time for coffee meetings and lunches.

Clearly, the perks aren't the whole story. My children, who have heard a lot of "no," and my husband, who has dealt with a lot of bill-paying, and my bank account, which hasn't seen a lot of action, can all tell you that. But, as I head into an exciting new challenge, I am determined to remember what most of this last year has done for me (not just TO me) and my family. If we can't find value and joy in even the hardest of situations, then, the way I see it, we waste a whole lot of time along the way. I haven't got that kind of time to waste. And, when you think about it, does anyone, really?