Week 4 (of 52): Fool Time Employment

The Post

I grew up watching reruns of I Love Lucy (and thought it was very unfair Lucy didn’t get to work at the club with Ricky) and one of my favorite episodes was when Lucy and her pal Ethel worked at a candy factory. Their task was to wrap candy on an assembly line and as the conveyor belt sped up, Lucy and Ethel did whatever they could to stay ahead of the relentless stream of chocolate. Little did I know that I’d often feel like Lucy when I grew up but with a hyperactive inbox instead of chocolate! I, too, had an amazing work partner—and we could never quite figure out which one of us was Lucy!

This week, I was surprised to feel rushed and panicked even though I’m not working for a company at the moment. I’m back to racing the clock—ticking through multiple lists and decisions and even though my time is my own, I still can’t harness it. What I want to do and what I need to do are in competition while I hurry to set things in motion that need time to progress outside of my hands.

And just when I needed a good calming down—one of my most intuitive friends shared an email from Supplies for Creative Living, a shop that offers art workshops and materials in the charming Hudson River town of Cold Spring, New York.

To always be open to beginning again. That the gawky, awkward phase is an intrinsic part of growing. To not rush or chase, nothing good gets away. To aspire to linger in the moments that are pleasurable without guilt, with full and present enjoyment. (Hammocks, furry pet cuddling and smelling growing things come to mind.)  That maybe we don’t always need to search for the right answer and the next move; maybe just by enjoying, being and making space, we’re all exactly where we are meant to be.

The full quote reads:

If it is right, it happens —The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

John Steinbeck advising his love-sick teenage son

I really needed this reminder. If it’s good for you, it’ll still be there. Sometimes it takes a few turns to get to the good thing. Or the thing that’s good may not be good for you. And sometimes what you thought was good at the time, you thank yourself later that you missed it.

The Weekly Wrap Up (Monday vs Friday)

So, how’d I do? Here’s a few highlights:

Goal: apply to Google

Outcome: well, looks like amazing jobs go fast. The one that got me excited closed within a week and I missed my shot. I’ve heard quick windows likely have internal candidates however this was a great kick in the pants and I learned a lot from youtube resume tip videos from Google.

Goal: figure out COBRA

Outcome: One of the most unintuitive acronyms ever, and nothing to do with the Karate Kid or reptiles, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives workers and their families in the United States who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan. Also sorted through Life Insurance, 401K and other details. Done. Family covered. Now no excuse for me to get all the health stuff I’ve been putting off done.

Goal: Organize April Fool’s Prank

Outcome: I love celebrating low-stress, no-stress holidays and Friday was April Fool’s Day! As a fan of harmless, funny pranks—nothing embarrassing—just pure lighthearted silliness, this year I surprised my son with a super-sized drink complete with clementine garnish and a dozen jumbo “rocks” ice cubes meant for sipping whiskey. Cheers!

For a fun April Fools Day romp (and if you want to hear about a few more of the pranks I’ve managed to pull off), check out the Jocular Pugilists podcast “The Best Podcast You’ll Ever Listen to… April Fools, it’s Just OK“ available on iTunes or wherever you download podcasts.

THANKS for reading through—go do something silly. It’ll make you feel better.

Stay in touch and see you next week!