A Week in the Life of the Lazy Long-term Unemployed

My friend Max Weiss said I should blog about the long-term unemployed experience.

Who’d want to read about that dreadful, depressing journey? And why would anyone dealing with the day-to-day struggle want to spend even more time in the drudgery talking about it?

“It’s relevant, timely, and insightful; it challenges the narrow-minded thinking of the right wing. And it could be cathartic.”

She’s a magazine editor. Surely she knows.

A Week in the Life

Have you heard? The long-term unemployed are lazy, lacking drive and motivation, and entitlement programs discourage recipients from finding work.

This week, I applied for the following positions:

(4) Facilities Manager
(2) Project Manager
(1) Administrative Facilities Support
(1) Non-profit
(1) Teaching (TESOL)

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of completing online applications, correcting erroneously populated data fields, taking mandatory tests, personalizing the cover letters, and completing questionnaires specific to the company and job, the process is much longer than simply forwarding your resume.

Additionally, I signed up with an International Recruiting Company for opportunities in the US and abroad, resubmitted my Peace Corp application, signed up for the Foreign Services testing in June and worked on ramping up my LinkedIn Profile.

I spent two hours in a mandatory debt counseling class before I could talk with a lawyer about the bullying I have received from my mortgage company. After determining I had cut back expenses in my life more than most people, and had actually come up with quite creative ways to reduce costs, they forwarded me to another organization. I spent another two hours going through their process. I then spent an hour compiling the paperwork they requested.

In an effort to make a little extra money, I trained two people in a software program, created a database, pitched an article idea to a newspaper and a magazine, and sold a sketch. This was in between the time I caulked and painted around the top of the chimney, mowed the lawn, provided a statement to an insurance company regarding an accident I witnessed, assisted a stranded motorist in getting her car to the garage, completed two modules in a French course, participated in a conference call on networking in the FM industry, and had my car repaired when the gasket leaked.

Of course, this is all above and beyond the time spent doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, attending small group, and the other day-to-day responsibilities so often taken for granted.

I’ve been considered long-term unemployed for two years now, and yes, clearly I’m lazy (spoken with abundant sarcasm).

Here’s the thing. I’m busy trying to rebuild my life in a system that is blocking my every move. I’m engaged in a war that most people only peripherally know is being waged much less understand what it’s like on the front lines. Perhaps if people would put away their judgments and preconceived notions and actually do the work involved to understand what’s happening, they wouldn’t make such unmerited, foolish statements. But stepping outside your comfort zone takes work; it demands time, patience and attention. It’s a challenge, and more often than not the results of enlightenment are a whole lot of disappointment and hurt. It’s much easier to sit in the lap of luxury and call the less fortunate lazy.

Cheers! May you never face adversity.