549 Days as a Kept Man are Over

Well it’s official, my days as a kept man are over.  That’s right, after 549 days as being unemployed, I am heading back to work.  My highly illegal non-compete is finally over, and I am gainfully employed yet again.  I have found someone to give me both a job and a weekly paycheck.  I know, trust me, I’m as surprised by this as you are.  But I went back to work this past Monday, and frankly, it was a little bittersweet.  After all, what started as doom and gloom over 18 months ago blossomed into a very unique opportunity.  Not too many people in their late 30’s and early 40’s get a chance to take a step back from the rat race and do the things that make them happy. 

I got to spend a ton of time with my boys.  I helped coach both of their house league and travel league baseball teams.  I spent a lot of time writing.  In the last 18 months I’ve written and posted over 80 blogs, and have started no less than six different books (and three of those books have made it past page 10).  And I ran hundreds of errands during this time, and though I certainly don’t love running to the dry cleaners or to the pharmacy or to the grocery store, the result of me running those errands during the week was more quality time with my wife during the weekends, so that was great.

Now, not all of this will end, as my new job allows me to work much of the time at home, so I’m sure you’ll still see me at the dry cleaners on some Wednesday afternoon, and you’ll still see me in the dugout for baseball games, but no doubt I’ll have less time to do some of that stuff.  And that’s okay, because after 549 days without a job, it’s time to start earning some money again. 

But before I get too wrapped up in the new job, I did want to send out a few “Thank You’s” to a handful of people who have helped make the last 18 months possible. 

My Wife – Thank you for supporting the family for the last 18 months.  You are an amazing woman, and without you, we’d be living in a tent somewhere.  And thanks for not once coming home to have sex with me on some random weekday afternoon.  You showed me that nothing good happens on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon when you’re at home.  That was probably an important lesson for me to learn.

To my dog Rocky – Thank you for keeping me on a schedule with our daily walks.  I’m a big believer in routines, and you definitely kept us on a set routine.  Of course I could have done without you peeing all over the bed . . . . while I was in it. . . . I said I wasn’t feeling good, I just needed some extra rest . . . . but maybe I’d still be in bed without you.

To my Mom – Thank you for reminding me EVERY TIME we saw one another, spoke with one another or emailed one another that I was in fact unemployed and not making any money.  Some might consider this CONSTANT reminder to be bordering on harassment or at the very least, brutal honesty, but I know it’s simply your way of reminding me that you love me.  Thanks.

To Best Buy – Thank you for posting an ad looking for a part-time sales person to sell Play Station 3 game systems.  I have read hundreds of help-wanted ads, and NEVER have I come across a job description that better suits me.  And thank you Best Buy for NOT hiring me for this job.  You have reminded me that no matter how low you are . . . . you can always sink lower.

And a final thanks to my oldest son, who upon hearing that I had gotten a job said, “Really, you got a job?  Someone hired you?  Well, I guess that means Christmas is going to be good this year.”  So thanks Chase, I appreciate your ability to boost my ego, as well as keep the bigger picture in mind.

And to all of the men who were jealous of my situation for the last 18 months, I’m back in your shoes.  The daily grind.  The dog-eat-dog world.  The hamster cage.  But hey, I can relate to your world again.  And at least when you ask me about my day I can talk about something other than carpools. 

And for my 10 loyal readers, don’t worry – I won’t forget about you. Clay’s Day will continue.  I figure working just gives me some new content.  And believe me, the world of mechanical insulation provides a lot more interesting content than you would think.  Just you wait.