My seventh grade English teacher, Mrs. Douglas, was quite the character. She was a large woman who dressed in mu-mus and had a glass eye. She gave piercing looks with her other eye and was very direct in her comments. She overheard me tell another student "I wish I could get straight As." With a no-nonsense, slightly sarcastic tone, she said "try working." One day she fell in class and we stared in silence. She pulled herself up and said "I wonder what the Richter scale measured on that one." She worked us hard, but interjected humor when least expected. She was known for saying "nothing works until you do." That is true in so many circumstances. And it's true for me right now. Having been in career transition since February, I have had the opportunity to investigate self-employment and changing careers in addition to searching for a new employment situation. I've been able to perform music in many venues and I've written a few new songs. I took a career interest test that showed I have a strong interest in counseling, so I signed up for a drug/alcohol/trauma class at Oxnard College. I'll write more about that adventure another time. I'll just summarize it by saying it was the wrong class at the wrong time for me. Good to know. I have ridden the free-lance work roller coaster with a few fulfilling projects and the un-fun act of chasing down money owed me. This is where you sing "That's self-employment" to the tune of "That's entertainment." I am glad that I've had more time to spend with Bob given that his schedule does not coincide with a regular M-F 9-5 schedule. I joined a Bible study and actually did all the homework. I even have a new client that promises to keep me "really busy." And yet I can't shake Mrs. Douglas's timeless truth -- nothing works until I do. Income makes life work. So it's time to reframe my life and embrace the job search with commitment. I'd love to hear from anyone who has gone through a similar experience. How can we all help each other? Share. Care. And let's try to keep each other laughing. It's just rock and roll, after all.
