Against the current

My life often involves me refusing to do what everyone else is doing.  Other people wear shoes, I refuse.  Other people refuse to put bananas in pasta sauce, I toss em right in.  (They were delicious, by the way.)

This time it is all about employment.  Around the world people are dealing with the loss of income due to social distancing protocols and the struggle to find work is real. 

I have spent the past 11 years unemployed, staying home with my kid, cooking and cleaning.  Getting a job seemed silly because I am needed here.

But now that all kinds of people are suddenly unemployed?  I am looking for work!

Not because of some money crunch, because my household luckily is supported by an extremely steady income, but simply because there is a desperate need for the work to get done.  A local hospital is hunting for people to do screening, so they need someone who can deal with upset and difficult people for extended periods while being assertive, authoritative, but compassionate.

This is a thing I am extremely well trained for.  They are only asking for a high school diploma, but I actually have work experience interfacing between a medical establishment and challenging clients, as well as a bunch of generic sales experience.  Heck, I was even known as the guy to park with a customer who had mental health challenges or who was having an emotional breakdown. 

They need exactly me for this!

So I applied for the job, part time.  I am sure the actual work will be wretched.  The screening gear will be terrible, dealing with sick and terrified people isn't fun, and there will be endless bureaucratic protocol that I hate.

But this has to get done, it has to get done well, and I am the person to do it.

Plus I desperately need to get out of my place and *do* something.

Not that I have the job yet.  They haven't called me for an interview or anything, much less given me the job.  But I have no doubt the combination of my expertise at interviews, excellent qualifications, and straight white guy privilege will get me through.

Maybe what I was waiting for all these years was a job I really wanted to do, because it really needed doing and I am actually the person who should be doing it.