Work/Life Balance
I used to know what this meant. I even thought I practiced it pretty good. I’ve had some very demanding jobs in my career. I’ve worked 80 hour weeks, I’ve travelled on a moments notice. I’ve worked 48 hours straight.
Fortunately, I’ve enjoyed most jobs I had. And I’ve been paid very handsomely for my expertise and experience. That changed just after Thanksgiving 2022. I lost my job. Meh, I’ve lost other jobs. This one had more stress than some, but it also paid really well.
In the IT world, losing your job, (layoff or firing) is a pretty common occurrence. I wasn’t worried. I could get another job. Also, we’d been careful with our money and I didn’t have to get a job for several months. So, I didn’t.
You would think the life side of the work/life balance equation was getting major bonus time. It was, but not how you think.
Tragedy struck. I will certainly write about it in the future, but not today. Horrible tragedy stuck in March. . .and then again in August. . .and then again in December 2023. My life was a shambles. Sure the “life” side of work/life should have been paying major dividends. Instead it was in freefall.
About a month ago I did something kind of radical. I got a job. Not an IT job. Not a corporate job. Not even a white collar job. I got a job as a clerk in a 7-eleveN store. Partly it was to start bringing in income. But at $12/hour, I was not going to get rich. Previously the “work” side of my life brought in six figures, plus benefits. Now it was $12/hour part time on the weekends.
But it helped restore some of my work/life balance. It gave me something to do. Something to anticipate. And the funny thing was, I liked it. My first retail job ever and I absolutely enjoy it.
It’s brought balance to my life. . .at least a little.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren. Order Miscellany III A Collection of Holiday Short Stories, an anthology including his latest short story, “You Can Call Me Dan” here
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