Gratitude

You know, the Universe/God/Goddess, has a way of showing up just at the perfect moment. As you know I’ve been on the job hunt for several months (18+). Well, yesterday the Universe rewarded my patience and persistence with a new position (alliteration anybody). I will be working for The Chemainus Theatre Festival. I am going in as the Development Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator. I am so grateful. It has come, as I was promised, and kept repeating, at the perfect moment; not too soon, nor too late. This position is the one that I eluded to in my post Victoria Day.

I am grateful for this kind of position as compared to some of the others I’d applied for because I think it will major on my talents and abilities. It is work that I’ve done before in other not-for-profits and charities. It also offers me a world of creativity which my soul needs to keep going.

When I chose to go it alone four years ago, I knew that my creativity, whether it was writing or otherwise, was totally stifled – other than my gardening. It then became my regular routine to journal every day. Now, I’m actually going to be trying my hand at sketching. As for my workplace, well who knows. The world is wide open in such a creative and artistic environment.

As for my Celebrant work, it continues. I will continue to offer my services for ceremonies and celebration across the life-cycle. My marriage license is in process. In order to get that moving I actually had to be re-ordained. This time instead of Captain (The Salvation Army) it is Reverend. But don’t bother calling me that because I never liked the titles in the church and still don’t see the real necessity of them. I am just one of the guys. My job is different to others in the group, but not better. So let’s forget about all the pomp and ceremony. I am working on my website and will have that up within the next month I figure. I, in fact, was introduced to a fellow today who is looking for someone to marry him and his good lady. So once again, not a moment too soon, nor too late; just perfect!

As for the future I can see myself moving into retirement and continuing to really enjoy Celebrant work as a vocation. But that’s almost 20 years away. I also hope that it will happen in Hawaii. But who knows really. It is a dream. But as with all my dreams now, they are subject to my Sacred Contracts with others in my life and the Universe in general. I may be able to look through the peep hole in the door. But there’s so much more beyond that small scope.

So here we go….



Oh yeah, if you’re interested in going to a show at the theatre. The current show is The Mouse Trap.


Gratitude

Victoria Day

As I sit on my deck today I am sure I must be toasting by now. The day is absolutely glorious with all the wonderful sounds of summer; birds chirping and tweeting their songs to one another and us, neighbours talking to each other for the first time in a list of wonderful summer days which bring us out of our nests, Gracie wondering around the deck sniffing and panting as she alternatively seeks out a comfortable spot (typical little Princess) which is also out of the sun. She loves the sun but in this heat often only  lasts a few minutes before her rich red/brown coat is just a bit too warm. It's fun to watch her because she may seem to be resting, she is ever vigilant of all the changes going on in her little world; a favoured fellow building dweller or another dog racing up and down the parking lot as his elderly, yet spry, master throws his ball back and forth getting him to fetch and bring it back for a treat. I sense that she is training the pup to be like Gracie who I trust off leash while she is on the property. Since we live on the third floor it not only provides her a bird's eye view, it keeps her in her glass tower when she would rather be down below greeting fellow quadrupeds or interesting humans.

The heat is starting to get to me so I'll be heading in soon. But the purpose of this entry has yet to be disclosed. It is to celebrate an "excellent (job) interview" according to my interviewer this past Wednesday. He has followed up the interview with contacting my references. I have been down the road of getting excited or attached to a particular application a number of times this past year or so. So even though I keep reminding myself of this I also, due to some child Archetypal energy am like a kid on Christmas morning.

This job will provide me with a number of wonderful opportunities that I can see in my limited pre-start view: Interaction and supervision of volunteers, development plans for donors, giving and events, artistic opportunities galore, administrative duties, human interaction (something I've lacked in terms of being part of a team in my present rather lonely and stranded position). It also looks as though it's something to grow into, have grow on me, and perhaps grow out of and have other opportunities to compliment and extend and challenge that growth. It is only 13-15 minutes drive from the apartment in a little town called Chemainus. It is considered an artistic centre on Vancouver Island; although that artistic grandeur has greatly depreciated in recent years due to economic setbacks in our tourism.

Chemainus was once a booming mill town. A number of years ago now, the mills all but ceased to operate tossing the town into a sad state of mass unemployment and depression. Some very wise people banded together to bring the tow back to life through tourism. They contracted the services of artists who painted wonderful, larger than life murals all over town depicting the culture and history of the area. As part of that reconstruction of what a little town could be, it is also now the home of the Chemainus Theatre Festival.

I already feel wonderfully privileged to be part of such a town, even if only through employment. I hope that in my new position (I'm already speaking as though it's mine, I know) I will not only be able to impact the place of employment, but also the place of employment on the grander scale, the town itself.

I have maintained over the last several months that the perfect fitting position would come along at only the perfect and most beneficial moment in time. I truly am hoping and feeling that this may well be that position.

In terms of the future I feel it will give me the outlet I need for my creative talents. I also can sense how it will compliment my newly acquired certification as a Life-Cycle Celebrant (website still under construction) and a healing ministry that I have felt called to for a very long time. We shall see...

Choose Wisely

A bit late. Mother’s Day has passed once again. Many of us owe our lives, who we are to someone special be it a mentor, father or mother. Although she wasn’t perfect she had a HUGE impact on who I am today. Miss you Mum (1921-1995).

Link: Tribute To Mother

Choose Wisely

Small Miracles

As I was driving to work this morning I decided to cut off the Parkway at the bottom end of Nanaimo and drive through town, even though I was running late. Usually I feel a bit more confident that I will arrive a bit earlier using the Parkway. As it turns out I was still five minutes early anyhow.

But arriving safe and sound and on time for work isn’t what this entry is about. It’s about listening to your gut (or intuition, lead, inner voice, higher self, guide, angel, whatever you’re comfortable using) and being in the moment; not the future.

Lately, as you know from my previous POSTING I haven’t been present to the moment as much as would like. I’ve been dwelling on something that hasn’t happened yet, its possible fall out, massive or tiny changes to my life and routine, both good and challenging. But this morning I followed that inner voice.

Even though I haven’t been feeling like I’m very present, I have been practicing to learn to listen to the inner voice; and even asking for direction. I’ve been doing this in a lot of ways. But today it was just about getting to work the ‘best’ way.

As I stopped at the first set of traffic lights coming into town I looked out my driver’s side window and stared at the cement and asphalt median. It is about 10 feet across at that point. I was looking at the starkness of it – but not totally present to it because I was living in the future and worrying about not getting to the office on time. Of course, my worry was a total waste of energy.

My eye caught a glimpse of a little spot of grass pushing up the asphalt. It was no more than an inch in width. But it was a few inches tall. All of a sudden I was reminded about my life and how I keep wanting that miracle to occur that will shift me forward; yet anxious about it too. I was aware that in this mass of barrenness a few blades of grass had pushed through against all odds. After all how can a few blades of grass pop up and conquer that heavy baron existence? I guess it was a miracle of sorts when I really gave it some thought.

Now realize that this all occurred in just a matter of seconds! As I look at what seems to be the flat, stark existence I seem to see for kilometres around me (basically my place in life right now) there can be miracles. Just STOP and look. They’re there. I know they are. From the glory of spring coming to life around us to how truly blessed I am. Yup I’m weary of the way things seem these days. But I have a roof over my head (including the elephants I swear live in the apartment above). I have food in my tummy. I have friends. I have what I have. I have my life.

As I typed away I was reminded that when things seem to be at their starkest look for the blades of grass pushing up through the baroness around you. It may not be the particular thing I’m waiting for. But it is there. Today stop and look for the miracles; no matter how small.


Small Miracles

Hurry Up and Wait!

I dislike intensely the waiting process. It’s as if the Universe is sitting back having a good old laugh at my expense. Well that was a weird picture in my mind. You see, I know that I am supposed to be moving forward to ……something….. Just what that something is I don’t know. And being true to my Cancerian nature, I need to know. I need to control my environment or stay in my shell until the storm has passed.

These past few years have all been about letting go. Letting go of stuff, people, non-beneficial relationships. Letting go of my consulting business and so, so, so, much more.

I have such wonderful supportive people around me who are constantly asking how the job search is going. Well…it’s going….I’ve lost count of how many jobs I’ve applied for. So what is it that I’m waiting for? I’ve asked myself the simple question (well not so simple really), is there anything that I’m doing to prevent this moving forward. I don’t think so. I’ve even had a professional re-write my resume and do a template cover letter. I spend hour every week pouring through website after website.

I did have a piece of wonderful news last week. I person on LinkedIn contacted me and offered to pay the outstanding fees I needed to pay to be able to move forward with licensing to be a wedding officiant. As you may know I took a course last year at this time to become certified as a Life-Cycle Celebrant. But due to income I struggled up until the end of last month finally paying the course off. And then this wonderful gift. So I am now creating another website for my Celebrant work.

But what about regular – paying the bills – work? Well I come back to hurry up and wait. I’m not sure what I’m waiting for. But I know that it will happen at the perfect moment; no later, no sooner.


Hurry Up and Wait!

Take Your Own Time

Yesterday morning I finished a wonderful book called Walking Home by Sonia Choquette. I highly recommend it to you. A few years ago, noted Intuitive, Sonia Choquette had three major blows in her personal life within the space of three years. First she received a call saying that her brother had died. Six weeks later it was her father. Then a couple of years afterwards her husband moved out and they started down the road towards divorce.

Job Search 101

Over the last year and a bit I have been looking for either full-time work, part-time (to subsidize my current ‘on-call’ work) or contract work (like I’ve done a few times now). I don’t know about anyone else, but I find the job hunt can be demoralizing, confusing and just a great big DOWNER! I have applied to over a hundred jobs now. Possibly more than that; I’ve lost count. I have only had one interview; and only about one tenth have had the courtesy to let me know that they weren’t going to consider me.

As you know the roller coaster ride for me over the last while has been quite the ride. I have asked, and been asked, why can’t I find work? And then there comes the occasional good-hearted person who suggests I just get a job busing tables or at Wal-Mart, etc…

My first issue is often the hardest for me to accept. The Walmart or busing; good idea, except with my back issues, standing for long periods or lifting too much will cause me, short-term, to have to start really popping the morphine and/or in the longterm will land me on my back in bed, doped and iced. In fact, on Thursday I will be having a long-awaited MRI on my neck. Last summer I went to the after-hours clinic locally because I couldn’t turn my neck. The ER Doctor looked at the x-rays he’d ordered and came in saying something along the lines that he was shocked that I wasn’t taking more morphine than what I do currently. I should be in so much pain. The truth is over the last decade I have ‘made friends’ with pain. It is a constant in my life, I just have to choose how much I’m willing to endure before I will take pain meds. Truth is my lower back is the worst of the two areas because it affects my legs so much. So I’ve been told to avoid standing for long periods and don’t do a lot of lifting. Well working at a funeral chapel demands both. But for now, on-call, allows me recovery time. But I couldn’t do it full-time.

The second issue I deal with is that I am over or well experienced, but under qualified. What this causes is those jobs that are below my skills refuse to hire because they believe I’ll be gone at the first opportunity. Let’s be honest, they’re correct. I’ve also had two situations where the interviewer was insecure when reading my resume/C.V. that they don’t want the competition.  One actually admitted it.

I have been designated as ‘disabled’ because of my back and neck issues. I don’t like to think of myself in those terms, so I very seldom talk about it or consider it.

The other issue of taking a lower paying job is that if I do full-time work I will be cut off of my disability allowance and actually be worse off than I am now because I am permitted to earn up to a certain amount. After that they deduct what I earn from what they give me. However, with what I make and the allowance I get it is not financially wise to take a lower paying job. As I wrote about last year around this time I had to make a Consumer Proposal to avoid bankruptcy and still allow me to pay a part of my debts back. Yes it would be easier to go bankrupt. But I have chosen to make some restitution. This means that I make a monthly payment to a Public Trustee. Then there are the other usual expenses, rent, car, gas, insurance, groceries, etc…

So I have a conundrum. And in this way I am like most men; I get downright miserable searching and being refused.  As you know from my entry Loneliness 101 I have also had to deal with a great deal of depression of late, greatly due to this continuing worry of how I’m going to cover bills. Then there is how I feel about myself living off of the government and sitting at home doing my current job – Job Search. And I take that seriously, it is my current job!


I am willing to relocate – within reason of course; although not to Northern Tuktoyaktuk. Yes that’s an actual place, check out the link if you don’t believe me. I am willing to be trained (even more than I am already). Although the type of training that would do the most for me would be a degree program. But with no credit rating I can’t get loans. And government programs would fund it either. I am willing to take a job that I am over qualified for. So what’s going on here? The government says the unemployment rate is only 6.6!!! And the National average time for unemployment is 20.2 consecutive weeks. This include those under employed as well, like me. I’ve already tripled that “average’. Talk about depressing, eh!

So what do I do? Well I schedule time at my job. The job is called Job Search 101. I scour all the Internet resources I can. When I was younger the Newspaper provided this. The Internet is much more thorough than the old Newspapers. In fact, at my part-time job I have to look at the newspaper obituaries. That page also has job ads…all two of them!

My daughter, Sarah, works for a company that will not let people apply in person, with or without a resume. They have to apply through the company website and fill in an application and do some sort of online testing. She says that the problem with that is when you hire based on the website you end up with kids who may seem to have the skills, but not the quality. They are just looking for an easy job to have some extra cash! They don’t usually show up as quality.

So what is to come of Job Search 101? I don’t know. I do know that I’m tired of this. I have laid out to the Universe that there needs to be change and that change needs to be ASAP. I keep hearing from people who have connection with the Universe/God that my time is here. I will find what I need.

In the meantime….if you believe in any Deity at all, please whisper a prayer for me; to find work as well as stay sane throughout this loooooooooooooooong process.


Job Search 101