If you've read my profile you'll note that I am currently living on an island in the Northumberland Straight (look it up) and while here my employment status is defined as "under". Under-employed that is. You see, we moved to this little berg for the career of the one whom I adore making the assumption that with my vast and varied talents that I could/would land a job in a blink of an eye. After-all, I have before. In fact, the last time I actively looked for work was 21 years ago. Let me tell you folks that's a long time to be in the position of being "sought-after". Much to our surprise (mine, his, ours) my landing the "big one" here hasn't been quite so easy.
So, here we are - him working extra super long days and the occasional weekend making changes, transforming his department, leading a team, having an impact (in a positive way), getting rave reviews and accolades. Me, I'm getting by doing any number of different things I can to either make some money or make a difference. Earlier this year I was able to do both with a short-term contract teaching at the local college. It damn near sucked the very life out of me, but it was a pay-cheque and had the added bonus of teaching me a couple of life and career lessons. But with the end of the school year came the end of the contract and now with summer almost officially here, there will be no news on any future contracts until school is back in session in the Fall.
Most recently, I've been spending my time volunteering. With the exception of Vancouver & Jasper, I have volunteered in every community I have lived in over the past 20+ years. I've spent hours rocking "crack" babies at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital and I've taught "Saturday" school to a group of Atlanta's inner-city youth. I've supervised an after-school program at the Maui County YMCA (you know, the one in Hawaii) and I've been a volunteer whale-watching guide for the Pacific Whale Foundation. Here on the island in the straight I volunteer with three organizations in a variety of capacities: as an in-school mentor to a young girl with socializing challenges, with the VIP hosting committee of the Canada Games Council and as the Auction Sub-committee Chair for the annual PEI Special Olympics Celebrity Sports Festival & Fundraising Gala. To that, add: keeper of the house, cleaner of the laundry, cooker of the meals, payer of the bills, runner of the errands, occasional cutter of the grass and tenderer of the garden. Oh, and the blogging thing. Let's don't forget about the blogging thing, because really...really? It makes me VERY happy to spend a part of my day writing.
With all of this I'm keeping plenty busy. And I'm really satisfied. Yes, I'd like to improve our financial status by working even part-time, but overall, I'm making life on the island work for me and subsequently for the one whom I adore as well. I'm really enjoying the work I'm doing and believe me when I tell you it is work. I'm meeting new and interesting people and I'm starting to learn all about the world of not-for-profit and how in some cases it's vastly different than the for-profit organizations I've always worked for. Perhaps most surprisingly is in how many ways the two are very much the same. Regardless, I'm really enjoying the work and the people and making a contribution to the greater island community.
It's all good.
Really.
But then, yesterday when I was being grilled by a friend of ours about my career prospects for the summer why did I feel like I'm not doing enough? Not looking hard enough for a job? Not talking to enough people? Not being in the right place at the right time? Not enough of the time anyway? Why did one person's relentless questioning make me feel that what I'm doing isn't important because there isn't a pay-cheque attached to it? How did feeling so good about the work I'm doing so quickly devolve into feeling so worthless because I'm not contributing equally to our household finances? Why would that conversation make me feel so damn bad about myself? Why does what this one person thinks matter so much to me?
I guess it's because like sharks circling around chum, our friends are constantly on alert for any signs that we not happy here and might leave. But I have to say that when the time comes for us to leave the island it will NOT be because I haven't found meaningful work. I have. I'm just not getting paid to do it.
Yet.
