Comments on: Ashamed to be Unemployed

By: Laurie

Laurie — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 04:53:49 +0000

Lea — I like that answer because it’s honest, true, and is much more positive. I’ll try it.

By: Lea

Lea — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 17:22:02 +0000

I quit a job last year and took time off before starting to work again. Because I felt that I had made a choice to be “unemployed,” I never felt like I needed to use the term. I told people that I was taking time off and exploring my options as to what I wanted to do next. Have you thought about using that as an answer?

By: Laurie

Laurie — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 19:02:35 +0000

Kid – I love unemployed bum. I might use it and say, “I’m seeking work at a retail store with a good discount in time for the holiday shopping season.”

By: Kidlitjunkie

Kidlitjunkie — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:30:36 +0000

I used to tell people I was an unemployed bum. A professional one.

And then I’d quickly follow it up with “unemployed bum, seeking work in children’s publishing.”

Yeah, I wasn’t sorry for those days to end.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 18:26:00 +0000

B — You are right about emotions, logic, and listerine!

By: B

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:08:10 +0000

Unfortunately, I can say from repeated experience that it takes a while for those feelings to go away. Emotions & logic so don’t mix.

I can’t think of anyone who hasn’t ended up better off in the long run, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck!
~B
PS – You’ll never look at listerine the same!

By: Laurie

Laurie — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 04:04:37 +0000

PS – Thanks, ladies. I feel better.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 04:04:26 +0000

I nominate col for psychotherapist of the year.

I nominate gemellen for psychotherapist of the millennium.

Maybe I need to have a contest: Choose my unemployment identity for me. The best line wins.

By: gemellen

gemellen — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:24:15 +0000

ps ~ i’ve learned to hate it when people ask me what i do.

(in my case, my job, which is just a “job,” is complicated to explain & people’s eyes inevitably glaze over after approx seven seconds.)

i understand it’s a relevant question (mostly), but it is certainly loaded for many people. what happens when we hang our identity on our job or career … & then it’s gone? like a divorce. we have to ease into whatever our new role in the world is going to be. & movement in this realm is usually very uncomfortable.

my advice is to fashion a response you love & use it.

(of course this comes from someone who’s been trying to “fashion a response” about her mother sitch for years now.)

focus on letting go of the shame if you can. because there’s no shame in working your ass off enough to even be able to spend some months reconfiguring your goals.

& stuff.

By: gemellen

gemellen — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:14:36 +0000

hi. col is smart.