Since moving to Oregon a few months ago, my husband and I have had pretty good luck, all things considered. I landed a well paying, half time job - that ends in November. He landed a low paying, full time job - that ends in November. Mine has been rewarding so far, and looks good on the resume. His pays the bills, gives him sore muscles, and provides us with all the fresh veggies we can eat - plus he's learning a lot about farming and making some new friends. We are constantly burdened, however with the knowledge that both of our gigs will be ending with the season. I guess that's more job security than some may have, but it makes planning for the future stressful and uncertain.
We've both been applying for jobs right and left. Jobs we'd love. Jobs that would pay decently. Jobs where we want to live. Jobs far away. Jobs. We, along with (what is it, 9% now?) many unemployed citizens are applying for as many jobs as we can, with mixed results. Our hopes go up, our hopes go down. We get excited about a potential opening, we get bummed out by a letter of 'thanks, but no thanks' in return. We each got one of those letters this week. I got two.
It's great to get a call back. It's even more great to get several, plus interviews! That's probably more than some can say in this economy. But call backs and interviews don't make a full time career that we can grow with. They just build up hope and make it that much harder to receive disappointment.
I like to wake up around 7 in the morning, whether i have a job to go to or not. Something about seeing the sun rise helps to fuel that hope again. It doesn't hurt to have a charming church right next door: a little reminder that there's more than just me and my husband out there. We have friends, family, and at least a little bit of faith to help inspire us and keep up the hope.
I do have my art and soap making to help pad the cracks. I currently have a small book deal and some commissions to work on, so my previously full time freelance art career has at least some life left in it. I'm terrible at marketing, however, and we both just really need consistent, reliable (is any job ever really reliable?) employment that will carry our family to our next homestead and provide the type of income that can support us and half a dozen animals. It takes a lot of investment to start out, and we're so ready to be 'there' now. At least we're in the right state. I guess if we both become out of work in November, we'll just take an extended Winter vacation, ay? Sigh.
Are you or anyone in your family struggling to find work? What do you do to keep your hope alive and spirits up?
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