The Bright Side

Seeing the photos of devastation in northeastern Japan serves as a reminder that there are far worse things that can happen in life than being out of work. As much as we think we have nature licked, every so often it reminds us who is really in charge.

So, in that vein, I’ll avoid my usual whine-fest and highlight some of the good things about not having a job. Here it goes:

Prime Time for PT. Physical therapy, that is. After I lost my job, I needed to undergo about three months of intensive physical therapy for a condition related to some prior surgeries I underwent. The treatments were twice a week, one hour each session. No way would I have been able to do the therapy and keep up my schedule at work. And I doubt my bosses would have allowed me to take time off during the workday to do it.

So, if you need physical therapy or elective surgery, do it while you are unemployed. Provided, of course, you are covered by health insurance.

Free Lunches. During my jobless stretch, several times friends have offered to buy me lunch. Of course, I always offer to pay, but I think most people want to do something nice for a friend going through a tough stretch.

However, don’t take advantage. You don’t want to end up jobless and friendless.

Afternoon Naps. Enough said.

Better Budgeting. I didn’t think I overspent while I was employed, but perhaps I did and didn’t realize it. Now I do. Nothing like a long stretch of unemployment to make you focus on your spending habits and expenses. That’s a good thing, and something that will stay with me after I get a job.

Volunteer. I’m in the middle of an eight-week program to help teach a young Korean woman in my town to speak better English. (I just hope she doesn’t end up with my Joisey accent.)

With no job, you really have no excuse not to do some type of volunteer work if you want to. And don’t think only of formal volunteer work. Take a friend or neighbor to a doctor appointment. Helping others provides a lift to your spirit at a time when you are not getting much positive feedback. It acts as a nice counterbalance to all those rejection emails.

Your Time is Your Own. When you work full time, it seems as if everyone from your bosses to family members have dibs on your time. Now, you can make your own schedule and do things at your pace, not someone else’s, whether it be doing errands or searching for a job.

That’s not being lazy; it just means you have a bit more control over your time and how you use it.

While I look forward to the day when I go back to full-time employment, I can appreciate this hopefully brief respite from the 9 to 5 grind. I’ve spent my entire working adulthood doing what other people wanted me to, and where did that get me?

Telemarketers Leave You Alone. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stopped telemarketers cold in their tracks when I tell them I cannot give because I’m unemployed. In the beginning, they would press me to buy some useless magazine or donate to everything from children with cancer to the hangnail foundation. Now, they can’t get off the phone with me fast enough. Yep, it’s a sad indication of just how far you have fallen on the socio-economic ladder when telemarketers hang up on you! I’m surprised none have responded that although they may be telemarketers, at least they have a job. Still, it’s nice not having to deal with those annoying people.

All these good things remind me to keep my situation in perspective. Someday, I will get a job and my old life back. Can the same be said of the thousands of people in northeastern Japan?