I can not tell you what a difference knowing I have secure and permanent employment has made to my mindset. In 2008, I was made redundant from the Basement of Discontent, and I know I chose to retrain as a teacher, but I feel as though I have wandered in the wilderness ever since. Four years of constant stress and poverty, living from contract to contract; never any income across the summer break. I believe, however, that I did the right thing in going back to university to study full time at the age of fifty, and I am sure that I would never have achieved the security, nor the job satisfaction that I have now, otherwise.
I feel so much lighter as though a burden really has been lifted. I also feel confident and finally have belief in my knowledge and abilities. If only employers realised what a burden they place on the contract or casual worker. If they want productivity to increase they need to offer security to their staff.
It has been a long road, with so many ups and downs, broken dreams and hopes but now I feel as though the tide has turned and that good times are coming our way (yes, I am trying to see how many clichés I can put into one sentence!)
As I have said previously, I finally feel as though I am contributing something to my community, I have the joy of working with people that I really enjoy working with, and I am happier than I have ever been in any workplace. At this moment, I feel a very rich woman.
Just remind me of this when I start to complain in a day or two, as no doubt I will, for we forget our good fortune all too easily.
Did I tell you that I found a knife carved from wood under one of the couches in the library? The deputy principal called it a pretty good imitation of a “shank”, all I know is that it had a pretty sharp point and with a bit of tape and paint would have passed for the real thing. I bet the student was disappointed on the way to rob the 7/11 to discover they had dropped their wooden knife.
If only they turned their talents to good…
If you’re a happy Goddess then so are we. Stability is a great thing onto which you can build ( oo good analogy)
Our thugs just pinch kitchen knives from the supermarket
How true, a happy Goddess, and happy world. You are a very wise man.
This post is really interesting to me. I also have full-time, permanent employment, and THAT PART I am grateful for. But despite my demonstrated competence, I feel like I am consistently on the brink of losing my job. While I love what I do for a living, the morale in my office is extremely, extremely low. Sometimes I wonder if I would be better off working two part-time waitressing jobs (despite my degree) and pursuing my dream of becoming a well-paid and well-known, sought after writer. I think I would be a lot happier and a lot less stressed out if I did this. So do I choose security, or happiness? And who says I can’t have both? I am also only 23 and lack the life experience that you have, so I am curious to know what you think. Thanks for sharing this well-written and thought-provoking post.
Is there any reason why you can’t keep your present job and write also? Some people are lucky and make it with their first book, but many more struggle for years and success can be slow in coming. Money worries are not conducive to being creative, believe me. If you job is lost well then you may have to find two part time jobs, but in the meantime, I would be working and saving, and writing like crazy in my spare moments. We only work 8 hours a day after all.
There is definitely something to be said for stability. I mean, if you are constantly worried about employment, it is very very hard to make plans or settle into a routine, if you know its about to be interrupted in just a few weeks…and when you aren’t so sure if you will have a next paycheck…well, you know.
It is hard to give your all, when you are always surveying the environment for the next job. It is just a precious gift to enjoy what I do!
First, congratulations on being offered a full time permanent position. I’m late catching up on your blog, but it appears things are going well, in spite of the shank.
One of my colleagues used to teach at a juvenile detention center, and one of her daily tasks was to search the classroom and computer lab for weapons, potential or otherwise. She said they couldn’t even allow the kids to have hard-cover books, because they could cut off the covers and use them as weapons. It gave me the shivers thinking about it—sure, a book could be used as a weapon, as can many things, but what kind of person would put a book to that sort of use? Those kids must come from grim situations themselves.
That is what I always think too – what went on in their home that they are like that. I can’t imagine what they could do with a book cover, but then I am not great with visualisation in those areas!
As I said a few days ago in a comment on my blog – Congrats!
I’m betting it doesn’t take a few days ….