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Life Arts    H4'ed 8/21/11

Do You Have A Job?

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"So, what do you do for a living?"

Depending on your employment status or financial situation, that can be a really tricky question. 

 If you are like me, the answer can depend on who the questioner is, how much time I have and what kind of mood I'm in. I have been "going back to school" for about three years now. I have managed to pick up a useless Associates in Applied Science degree (which means I took a zillion classes because I couldn't decide on a specific field of study) and even a phlebotomy license. 

 I also attended a private school where I trained to be an X-ray tech. I thought that was a sure thing because all the experts say healthcare is the best field to be in and that's where all the jobs are. Except for all the jobs there aren't. 

By now family and friends are starting to get suspicious, which means if I cop to being a life-long student I am inevitably asked what I am studying. That answer, too, can vary. 

I usually say I'm just getting my prerequisites out of the way but that's not specific enough for some nosy people. It's not that I don't know that my interests kind of evolved. Specifically, I spent a lot of money and a lot of time away from my family for me to get a certificate in something that I not only don't really like, but I can't even get a job in. 

 I am often told how lucky I am that I get to be a stay at home mom (like I have a choice), and there is certainly a part of me that enjoys watching my now six-year old discover the world and grow.

But as expectations rise and fall, frustration, exasperation and aggravation creep in faster than overdue ER bills and eventually your self-esteem just kind of evaporates. 

So now I'm over-educated, broke, depressed and unemployed.

Thank God I still have my sense of humor. Yesterday my nodding acquaintance neighbor made a snarky comment about the luxury life of a career student. I plastered a big grin on my face and told her I didn't have to go to college to know to marry a rich guy. She did that stutter-stammer thing then quickly left. 

 I guess I feel bad that after all this schooling I still haven't learned not to lie but at least the next time I see her she won't be asking me what I do for a living- she'll be trying to find out what kind of fantastic job my husband must have.

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Bernadette Greene Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Freelance writer, author, mom and wife.
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