NutJob

Being Unemployed isn’t easy. For a start I have a part time (casual) job and that really hampers my status on the live register. Despite technically not being out of work I feel I am entitled to an opinion on the subject. I lost my previous full time job and have to endure the joys of visiting the social welfare office and dealing with the most uncivil servants you could ever hope to avoid.

This is my second go at being on the dole. This time my visits to the social welfare offie seem to be fraught with anxiety and fear for many. People have more to lose this go around. I remember when a spell on the dole was to be expected and while I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it, I was ok with it. As were most of the people. There was almost a sense of bonhomie That all changed of course with the economic boom and the ‘Celtic Tiger’.

I was last one of the unwaged warriors back when all this recession nonsense was just called being working class. To paraphrase Outspan Foster, how could be working class if there was no jobs.

Of course, these days people have come to expect more from life and have higher expectations. They also have mortgages, loans, second mortgages, car repayments and credit cards. The kind of financial icebergs that could sink the most titanic of individuals. Back in the 90’s most people on the dole did not have these nooses around their neck. Times are indeed tough.

Every persons position is different. Some people have mortgages, others don’t. Many people have families, wives and kids to support, some don’t. I can only look at it at it from my perspective and I, being a man with a positive outlook, however, refuse to accept that it is all doom and gloom. Its not all bad. It can’t be. And if you let it be all bad, then you are in trouble my friends.

I know its not always easy to see the wood for the trees but there is one huge positive of being unemployed. Time. Lots and lots of free time. And while that might sound like my Mastermind specialist subject is ‘the bleedin obvious,’ just because people have extra time on their hands, it doesn’t necessarily follow that they make the best use of this time

Its very easy to fall into an unproductive way of life when you don’t have to get up and go to work every morning. The most important thing I find is to get up in the morning. Again, not exactly an earth shattering revelations by John there, but its so easy to fall in the trap. You know, you wake up about 10.30, you’ll lie in bed for another 30 to 45 minutes. Maybe you’ll read for a bit. If you have a TV in bedroom you might watch a movie. Suddenly its 2 pm. There isn’t much point in trying to do anything for the rest of the day, everything in this country closes at 5 anyway. So you might just sit around and watch daytime TV.

This is a big mistake. Daytime TV is like crack. Its fun and amusing. It comes in small chunks so it never feels like you are going to far with it. But as soon as one ’hit’ is done you start to get the urge for just one more. Sure what harm can it do?

Well lets take a look at what we could have looked at today shall we?

On RTE 1, our national broadcasters, whose remit does mention words like ‘information,’ ‘education’and ‘quality programming’, we have, in a row, Murder She Wrote, The Doctors, Doctor Phil, and then repeats of Fair City, Neighbours, Home and Away and Eastenders. What? No Oprah?

On BBC1, the equivalent of RTE for our nearest neighbours its worse. Homes Under the Hammer, To Buy Or Not To Buy, Cash in the Attic and Bargain Hunt. The one thing in this list of tripe’s favour is the fact that you might discover that an elderly relative might have something that is worth bumping her off in these times of financial strife.

So stop it. Turn it off. All of it. Its designed to keep you in an idiotic stupor. Television, while having the potential to bring magnificence in the form of art or education, is mostly used for the forces of evil. David Dickenson, Handy Andy and the entire cast of Fair City are no better than Mein Kampf or any other propaganda tool.

Next we need to cut down on other bad habits. Get up do some exercise, go for a walk. Exercise your brain, read a book. Limit the time you spend on the internet. A ‘friend’ of mine once told me he ‘amused’ himself (youknowwhatimsayin) 7 times in one day because he had nothing else to do. This is not healthy people.

Find productive ways to spend your time. Learn a language. Volunteer for stuff. Make yourself available to help an elderly neighbour. Pick a project and do it. This is my favourite. I shall be telling you all about my latest project at some stage soon.

The most important thing is not to panic. Never question if you are capable and if you are useful. You will always find something to utilise your talent and skills, even if it is for free. Financially this isn’t the soundest business plan. But if it makes you feel good to be doing stuff, then do it.

So apply for jobs. As many as you can. But remember, you have a luxury that you would have been grateful for not so long ago. Spend time with the kids, read a book, do some DIY. Enjoy your time, while you have it.


Ok I got a bit behind on the ol bloggerino. So I owe you one from last week. Look out for some sort of make up article later in the week.