Speaking with the best friend on the phone last night, I lamented that while unemployment liberates one from the ball and chain of corporate tyranny, it ain't all it's cracked up to be. My friend is currently living in Colombia with his wife, trying hard to get his import/export business up and running. All kinds of obstacles such as free trade agreements, hostile locals, and lack of capital are conspiring to prevent this venture from seeing the light of day. Having suffered through many subpar jobs in my lifetime, I can honestly say that I'm grateful to have the job I have today. Still, I get a little green with envy when I encounter people who are unemployed and NOT dead broke. A little sound financial planning allows for such an arrangement. Sadly, I suck at financial planning.
On the subject of work, my annual review is coming up very soon. I haven't had an actual review in almost 2 years because my last boss (HR job) booked it for Texas right before I was to begin the review process. If I learned one thing in HR it's that recognition is paramount to nurturing and retaining good employees. Here's to hoping that I can continue down the path toward becoming a better editor—and a well-compensated one at that!
I definitely feel you on that one. I am grateful I have a job too. I make my money and still try to go out and have fun and stuff. But you do encounter some people in life who are unemployed at the moment and maybe work a side job once or twice a week and they are somehow living it up. Spending way more money than I do each week (well at least on booze). I am basically talking about a yelper for example but also a person I actually know as well. I am not saying the person should be living on the street just because they don't have a job, but it seems all the normal things people pay for are out the window, not that they are not "technically" working.
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