this blog has turned into a movie/book trope of the character who is murdered / goes missing. The one the left you saying: "There's no way anyone would blog about that much stuff/update that much on Twitter/this is so lame." turns out it's not lame. well... okay, it is. but it is also realistic.
It took me the longest it has ever taken me (save for that first 13-16 years where I was taking a few years off to childhood). I started my search in the brewery, tattoo receptionist and CBD caregiver game and eventually landed on: part-time bank teller. Quite the journey. The reason for this: J has a full time 8-5 Monday through Friday and he suggested that I get a job with weekends / holidays / nights off so that I don't forget what he looks like. Also: insurance is good. (Always thinking, that J!) So I swapped my soul-feeding, body-killing, no-insurance-giving search for one where I could go to the dentist every once in a while. I honestly don't think I would care much either way because: it's part-time! Nothing matters when you're part-time. You can have whatever personality you want and be responsible for as little as they will allow you because: it's only for a few days a week.
My training was very long, but not taxing. Mostly a lot of sitting in a quiet room, behind a closed door, watching training vids and participating in virtual classes. This would have been my complete undoing, after so many months of doing exactly what I wanted and only socializing with my partner, but I had something with me. The best tool, according to Nicholas Angel; my notebook.
I have gotten in trouble for reading on the job. I have gotten in trouble for checking my phone on the job. But I have yet to get any flack for writing in my notebook on this particular job. It's perfect: I can take notes on actual job information, jot down any questions I have for later (while someone is teaching the class). I can also write down any thoughts / ideas I have for stories, blogs, dinners for the week, events I want to remind J of - I can plan my whole week! I always have something to write. And having a notebook to plan in might be archaic, but when the alternative is not relaxing/getting in trouble with your phone or ...nothing? I feel as though it is a fine tool, indeed.
It is wild just how long the days feel there - here I am working 20 hours a week and I am still missing J, missing my kitchen, missing "home". Which brings me to the quick thought: how do any of us find time to get upset with our friends or partners when we are working full time? I know I have done it. Doesn't it seem as though we would simply just be relieved to be around them? 40 hours of working hard for the money and you aren't just happy to be home? Of course then I figure that working 40 hours is (at the very least) twice as stressful as working 20, so I suppose that puts us all at a disadvantage for good moods. I guess it would likely come down to your down-time / how you would want to spend it, at that point. Let's say, for example, you came home, wanted to work on a project you had going for the house. But upon arriving you find out that your partner has made an incredible mess / not cleaned it / now you can't chill and further more that's not very respectful and... Okay. I answered my own question.
One last parting shot:
I will say I wish the job application descriptions online were honest. They always romanticize the job to the point where I have no idea what the actual tasks/duties/daily work will even look like. Is it in an office? A warehouse? A greenhouse? Will I be working mostly alone? With co-workers? Or is it mainly customer-based? Will I be answering a phone? The front door? Personal ads? How often? It's nice to know this place has "good benefits", but what are they? What am I getting paid? Am I getting paid?
It's not overwhelming; it's fast-paced.
It's not unfair workload; we don't like titles.
It's not a scripted, soul-crushing, white-elephant-selling call-center; it's customer service. With incentives.
Just once I would like to see:
Data Entry job.
Will be left alone by co-workers and customers alike. In fact: no socializing necessary (no extroverts, please). Simply a once-a-week email to supervisor. Can listen to music while working as long as work gets done. No phone-answering. No front-door recptionist-ing. You will be working in a basement. (Woman-owned business, don't worry/nothing creepy.) Mostly it's just you and your computer. Just typing away and entering data, as the job title implies. You will be expected to clock in promptly at 8am. You will likely spend the morning scrolling on your phone and drinking coffee and eating your lunch you packed too early. But we won't notice unless your work doesn't get done. You do you.
Will be left alone by co-workers and customers alike. In fact: no socializing necessary (no extroverts, please). Simply a once-a-week email to supervisor. Can listen to music while working as long as work gets done. No phone-answering. No front-door recptionist-ing. You will be working in a basement. (Woman-owned business, don't worry/nothing creepy.) Mostly it's just you and your computer. Just typing away and entering data, as the job title implies. You will be expected to clock in promptly at 8am. You will likely spend the morning scrolling on your phone and drinking coffee and eating your lunch you packed too early. But we won't notice unless your work doesn't get done. You do you.
M-F, 8-5. PT: 20 hrs / FT: 40 hrs. Holidays off because we don't want to pay you to be here. It's not worth it. I mean come on; there are no customers to talk to.
Tell me what I want to know, right? This is what I came here for.
I do think that's about it for now... thanks for reading my non-verbal processing.
