Have you ever been unemployed...and enjoyed it?

invisibleman

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FUCK NO!!!! sorry for yellin' i lost my relationship,my home,my car,my great credit...and for a few months my mind..i learned alot about myself though,and my "friends" and family...i'm slowly rebuilding my life,but i'm stronger now than i've ever beeen.


I know how that is. :frown1: The best part in losing employment and losing your mind--you have unbelievable nerve. Like you just want that mean relative to push your buttons or that ex to come around and give you some smartassed talk. You have those "jacked into The Matrix" fantasies putting a fist into their mouth and a foot in their rectum. Oh at those low times, it never happens. None of those mean-spirited peeps come around then. It is when you are really happy or deathly ill or put your guns and crossbows up for the day, that is when those bastards come around. :biggrin1:
 

invisibleman

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No one really wants to work, but everyone has to at some point. If they truly did enjoy working, they'd do it for free...

I love working. I love what I do. It is the slow...waiting for the calls to do jobs is the problem. I hate volunteering. And I have worked for free before and that isn't what I want. Why should I give up my services for free and they benefit from my work...EVEN use my ideas like they came up with them--not get paid?
 
D

deleted136887

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back in the 70's I was unemployed, got $46 a week, woo hoo!!! met a gal, she became my gf, then she got laid off. we did not have much money and not much to do, so we fucked all day long. cheap entertainment. then I got a job, she got a job, then we fucked all weekend. then we got married. now we hardly fuck at all. sigh


Aint that the truth!!!!
I am unemployed by choice for the moment, will go back to work sometime August....having a good time.
 

D_MisterBater

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I'm enjoying it. I've been working on my game (golf), catching up on the reading list, more time for music, etc...

I just need to stay positive about the job market turning around.
 

HellsKitchenmanNYC

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I agree w/Bull! What I wouldn't give for a summer off and not have to worry about money! What kills me is that I worked a second professional job p/t for 17 yrs and when it closed I couldn't collect a DIME for it!
 

jason_els

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Being unemployed for awhile rocks...as long you still have money or an alternate source of income. If I had a choice to work or not work, I would definately not work. No one really wants to work, but everyone has to at some point. If they truly did enjoy working, they'd do it for free...

My thoughts exactly though I think if I found a job I loved, I would work if I didn't have to. I've been laid off twice in my life and each time it's a shock for a few days but then I refocused on my life, did the unemployment thing, and managed to get by. I was completely OK with it. The last time it happened I did a stint as a home health care aide and really liked it. I'd like to do it again to get some extra income as SSI pays less than I need.
 

D_Duane Pipe

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I would have to say, all in all, I don't enjoy it when I'm unemployed. It's nice being able to sleep in, but that's about it. I'd rather be in a job I don't like than be unemployed.
 

jason_els

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You think your job defines who you are and it's something that is required for mental health? Does having a job make one feel "needed" and necessary in this world? - Do you need a job to maintain a certain degree of self esteem?

There are two types of workers: people who define themselves by their job and those who don't. Of those who do, there are two subtypes: those who define themselves by their job because that really is all they have, and those who define themselves by their job because they have so much more. By that I mean that some people are so wrapped into their job or profession that they can never really let it go. They define their worth by their value to their employer and society. If they lose that they lose all self-esteem. The converse is the person who finds their job so mentally or spiritually fulfilling that it allows them to experience life more richly. These are the sort of people who work because they love what they do and devoting their lives to work makes them happy.

I do think unemployment is sometimes like a Zen master's stick thwacking a meditating practitioner on the shoulder. It's a sudden shock of enlightenment that forces you to stick your head out of the rabbit warren and evaluate what you're doing, where you're going, your happiness, and what's important to you. When you're free of schedules, pleasing bosses, and dealing with arbitrary and unfulfilling relationships, it's much easier to see your life clearly. There's no anticipation of a job to come or something you need to do for an employer. Once free of that, you can really evaluate where you are and what you want.

When I took a month off from work to care for my father after his heart surgery, I experienced something similar. Despite the fact Time Warner tried to fire me for doing so, I found it very worthwhile because I realized I needed a change of life in several major ways and it didn't include my present job or living circumstance. When I was laid off three years ago, I took the time to rearrange my entire life and mental outlook. I'm still going through that, and cancer certainly forces one to confront a great many scary things, but I have to say that had I had to deal with going through cancer when I was the person I was when I was working, I'd be an absolute basket case. Now I'm not and, I think, a happier person for it.
 

BIGBULL29

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There are two types of workers: people who define themselves by their job and those who don't. Of those who do, there are two subtypes: those who define themselves by their job because that really is all they have, and those who define themselves by their job because they have so much more. By that I mean that some people are so wrapped into their job or profession that they can never really let it go. They define their worth by their value to their employer and society. If they lose that they lose all self-esteem. The converse is the person who finds their job so mentally or spiritually fulfilling that it allows them to experience life more richly. These are the sort of people who work because they love what they do and devoting their lives to work makes them happy.

I do think unemployment is sometimes like a Zen master's stick thwacking a meditating practitioner on the shoulder. It's a sudden shock of enlightenment that forces you to stick your head out of the rabbit warren and evaluate what you're doing, where you're going, your happiness, and what's important to you. When you're free of schedules, pleasing bosses, and dealing with arbitrary and unfulfilling relationships, it's much easier to see your life clearly. There's no anticipation of a job to come or something you need to do for an employer. Once free of that, you can really evaluate where you are and what you want.

When I took a month off from work to care for my father after his heart surgery, I experienced something similar. Despite the fact Time Warner tried to fire me for doing so, I found it very worthwhile because I realized I needed a change of life in several major ways and it didn't include my present job or living circumstance. When I was laid off three years ago, I took the time to rearrange my entire life and mental outlook. I'm still going through that, and cancer certainly forces one to confront a great many scary things, but I have to say that had I had to deal with going through cancer when I was the person I was when I was working, I'd be an absolute basket case. Now I'm not and, I think, a happier person for it.

Another fantastic post by Jason. :wink:
 

B_theOtherJJ

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Unemployment is debilitating and draining, as is worrying about losing your job every day of your life, especially if you are a senior like me. i have been lucky so far, going quickly from 1 long term job to another. but it is a constant fear, even if you have money to back you up for awhile if you lose your job. Once your savings are spent, its almost impossible to recoup in todays economy. And I dont believe anyone is immune from the axe falling on them.
 

lookingforhung

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The only way I see people hating unemployment (at least some time off anyways) is if they didn't have much to do and didn't have the greatest social life. Otherwise, who really wants to work?

I do understand the "really happy with a job" crowd though.
 

rbkwp

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Actually YES'
Unemployed and it was not a problem to enjoy the whole scene .. probably because i had no major bills to pay..chose to do a little voluntary work to keep occupied and just adapted to the minimal living income..secured some work of my liking within year
Main thing was i took the time out ..too much 'working with people' so was GREAT break for me
enz
 

eddie63

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A few year back, I got laid off from my job. Went on unemployment for about 6 months. At first it was ok, slept late, went to Vegas a couple of time, then you get bored and want to find a job. Found a job with help from a friend & have been there since.
 

D_Martin van Burden

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You think your job defines who you are and it's something that is required for mental health? Does having a job make one feel "needed" and necessary in this world? - Do you need a job to maintain a certain degree of self esteem?

For men in our country, I think that's absolutely true. Think about it anecdotally for a sec. How do you introduce yourself to someone you have not met? Obviously, a handshake and you say your name, but I think in the course of small talk, saying what you do for a living usually comes right after that. Provided that we work full-time, our lives largely revolve around the office or the workplace, so it's only natural that we would get so much identity from it. On top of that, if you're good at what you do and it gets recognized by others, that's a powerful source of self-esteem.

I think it's all in the marketing. Even for me, someone who has spent way too many years in school, part of my pitch is being able to talk about what I study, how I got to Tucson, and my career aspirations. Other than that, you'd get my name, my ethnic background perhaps.

Not counting summer holidays in college, I have been unemployed twice. Before I moved to Tucson, at one point, I was working three jobs: at a behavioral health care clinic during the day, at a factory for the graveyard shift, and picking up a couple shifts at a restaurant waiting tables. The factory wouldn't give me the time off to do a visit in Tucson (before I accepted enrollment), so I had to quit that place. (It was okay; I got to sleep like a normal person.)

I worked at the healthcare place for a year. We were bought out by another company, and despite having over a year experience, they wouldn't give me the raise they promised. So I quit. My boss at the restaurant let me work full-time and she was really cool about it. Unfortunately, our restaurant shut down in the middle of the summer. Now out all my jobs, I had to leave Lexington and move home with my parents. It was temporary. I just thought of it as an extended vacation before moving away.

This summer, I learned just how hard it is to find work in Tucson. Half the city up and leaves to get away from the heat, and all across the board, people aren't hiring. I have a temporary consulting gig right now, but it only helps me pay for groceries, gas, maybe a couple bills. If I hadn't saved up some money from the school year, then I'd be toast!

The fact is, for unemployment to be funemployment, you have to have one hell of a safety net beneath you. Even when I collected unemployment benefits before moving out here, I could maybe get by on it but it would be incredibly difficult to do so with all the bills I pay each month. That, and if you're not working, your mind is left to wander. I got bored really easily. Yeah, I had fun playing video games and reading here and there and hanging out at the pool, but those days got old fast. On top of that, the struggle to find a job weighs heavily. You look for work, want to work, but being broke can't get the bills paid, plus you start doubting your skills if people don't respond to your applications and such. It's a real burden.
 

earllogjam

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For men in our country, I think that's absolutely true. Think about it anecdotally for a sec. How do you introduce yourself to someone you have not met? Obviously, a handshake and you say your name, but I think in the course of small talk, saying what you do for a living usually comes right after that. Provided that we work full-time, our lives largely revolve around the office or the workplace, so it's only natural that we would get so much identity from it. On top of that, if you're good at what you do and it gets recognized by others, that's a powerful source of self-esteem.


Thanks Dee for that post. You've touched on a lot of things I've been thinking about. I would say that many guys size themselves up among each other with how much money they make. It's one of those things that establish the pecking order among guys along with dick size and how trophy your partner is. I always feel awkward when meeting a guy at a party or social function when I am immediately asked what I do for a living. I'm always inclined to say- I breath, eat, shit and sleep.

Sorry to hear about the dearth of summer jobs in Tuscon. Too bad you can't sell shade.

The ideal job is to have one that aligns with all our real interests but that's as rare as a 2 headed snake. There are times when you just feel like you aren't growing as a person in a job and the only reason you stay is because you need the security despite that daily feeling of rotting from the inside out at work.
 

D_Bob_Crotchitch

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My job allows me to help hurting people. I've called the police to protect people, the fire department, all kinds of things. Then, people just naturally open up to the mailman. So, I do feel that my job is a valuble service. The only problem I have is jerkface bosses that constantly do evil to people.
 

voyeuristic

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I'm employed by a home-care agency and only getting 10 or 15 hours a week of work right now. I can tell you that it's really hard to enjoy all that free time when I'm worried about where my next meal is coming from, or whether I can pay rent. I've been trying to do creative things to scrape by, like pick fruit from the backyard instead of buying it, but that kind of resourcefulness only goes so far.
 

B_dxjnorto

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Have plenty of time to jerk off everyday. I've got four months of unemployment left. Hopefully get on somewhere for the Christmas rush--if there is a Christmas rush this year.