So after about two business weeks of being unemployed, I have a gig scheduled. This is funny, because two weeks is the amount of time that unemployment requires before you are allowed to make a claim. And the gig that is starting this week pays a pitiful amount. So, I won't collect any money before earning barely any money.
Well, hey, it's still work, right? It still gets me out of the house, right? (Well, no, no, it doesn't. It's telecommuting, so I will not only remain at home, I will have to remain at home for 8-10 hours per day. Which is not to say I'm not already doing that.) Well, it's a paycheck, right? Yeah! It's a paycheck that actually nets me less than unemployment benefits do. I told my colleague, if we get offered anything less than $X per hour, let's just refuse.
But you can't, can you? There's that thing where unemployment stops if they find out you refused work, but more importantly, I can't just say "no thanks" when someone finally offers me work. The last two weeks sucked. The next three-to-four will probably suck, too, but at least I can say I'm working. For weak money. Goddamn it.
It's as though they found the perfect combination of working and not working and applied it to me as a punishment. You're working: you have limited free time, you have to do stupid make-work that has no meaning or worth. You're not working: the money sucks and you have no one to talk to, no reason to leave your place. Hey, you got your despair in my existential dread! No, you got your existential dread in my despair! You're both right!
I apologize for the negative tone in this post. I believe there's value in honesty, though. I'm going to go to the gym, since I haven't in weeks. Maybe I'll meet someone there who needs to hire a legal consultant at their job and has a sister who's looking to meet a nice guy.
--5:15 PM, EDT, Hatboro, PA, I wouldn't hold my breath, though
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