I have been unemployed for over three months and every day I try to figure out a way to not fall into the doldrums. Of course I want my friends to call me and say come meet me for lunch. Of course it would be great if my phone showed a text message from someone saying lets go see a movie or come to our barbecue. But, I can't sit around waiting for invites. How is that being productive and being a contributing member of society? Being unemployed doesn't mean you have to give up and wait. I refuse to be that person. Instead, I've been trying to fill most of my days with something to do.
One thing that I've done weekly is treat myself to a nice lunch. Sitting at a table alone surrounded by laughing, engaging individuals can be a bit daunting at first but I've come to appreciate it. I no longer feel sorry for myself, in fact I feel like I've been given the opportunity to enjoy my own company. I'm a pretty cool chick haha. Treating myself has been educational in so many ways. Not only do I get an opportunity to observe and value my environment, I pay way more attention to my food and what i'm eating. It's all been quite eye opening. So much so that I chose to start blogging about the dishes. But, eating out isn't the only thing that helps my day be more productive. I'm walking more, I've visited some of my towns historical sites, I continue to go to the beach and read, I'm writing more than ever and most importantly I'm learning more about Tamieka.
I'm not gonna sit here at my computer and pretend that being lonely is great. It sucks. But, it's about recognizing what it is about loneliness that makes you sad and finding things that can change that around. In due time I'll be working again. I'll be making new friends and forming new relationships that will hopefully last for years to come. During this time off though, I'm trying my hardest to turn what can be a depressing situation into one filled with growth and enlightenment.