So, for those of you keeping track at home (I mean, aside from myself), I've been working locally (for a hair's breadth above a poverty level wage) since about a week after my last post (mid-July). It's been working out pretty well, aside from the income.
All thoughts (and righteously inspired rants) about workers and wages and inherent (and respective)attitudes aside, it's been going pretty OK. I mean, work is work and soon, I'll be eligible for health care coverage, which is the important thing for Ben and for roach (and me too).
I still can't shake this notion about living to work and working to live. I've always been one to say that I'm not "living to work" I'm "working to live" and that mindset has apparently fallen short with several of my supervisors from my previous jobs (not to mention the "job" vs. "career" idea, but that's for another blog post). For me, my family comes first. They're who I'm living for.
Unfortunately, financial woes always seem to be prevalent and budgeting is becoming, well, let's just say "lean". Given that financial situation, it puts particular parameters on what jobs I can (and am willing to) do (i.e. you can't have a job without a car and you can't get a car without a job, etc...).
I can't seem to take solace from knowing that I'm not alone in this. The bills are still there no matter how many people are struggling to pay theirs.
I can, however, take solace in my family, the very ones I'm doing this work for, but even all the good feelings in the world (and they do provide such happiness) doesn't change our financial situation.
I've been struggling with the idea of what to do for potential extra income while still maintaining that I work to live (and define what it is I live for). What I can do.
I've got some notions, some ideas and I'll post more about them as they gestate and slowly prepare themselves to be born (akin to an alien bursting forth from my skull). One in particular has gripped me pretty firmly, so we'll see after I bounce it around a bit longer.
So, really, the only update I have is that we're all (for the most part) healthy, happy and I'm working (again, locally... like 2 miles away) and Eggplant is gaining momentum.
Alright, thanks for reading and I'll have more within a few days. :)
~Stephan
