hmph day

Yes, that is a very clear and distinct hmph in the post title. The employed me once loved hump day wednesday, probably because my weekends started on thursday. But now that I'm unemployed, wednesday is just wednesday which only means tomorrow is thursday which would be getting excitingly close to the weekends, but as i've already made clear, everyday is a weekend now.

I'm beginning to establish a little bit a routine, however. It gets me until about 2 or 3, a time in the day I call the dark hour because I've either exhausted the to-do list (obviously not long enough) or I can't pretend to enjoy this laissez faire lifestyle anymore. An unemployed friend of mine who lives in San Francisco (her amazing story should be shared) emailed me after she heard the news from our mutual friend (who now lives in London, her amazing story should be shared, too). Her advice was to take some time to figure out all the things I've been too employed to actually do. It's all very "stop and smell the roses" but she's right on. So, I compiled a list of those things. In no particular order here they are:

1. Finish a book. A long and intellectually stimulating one. Something Tolstoy.

2. Volunteer.

3. Visit one museum a week.

4. Travel.

5. Start a blog.

6. Learn Spanish.

7. Learn html, flash, dreamweaver

8. Clean out my closet.

9. Donate contents.

10. Learn to cook.

11. Learn to surf.

12. Start a novel.

13. Take an art class.

14. Run a marathon. Amend that: start with a 5K.

15. Buy a camera, dabble in photography.

16. Start swimming again (I did it high school. Best damn exercise there is).

17. Mediate, learn how to mediate.

18. Self-publish a book.

19. Understand the elements of Typography.

20. Play chess.

I'd like to revisit this list in the coming months (employed or unemployed) and see just how many I've accomplished. Some were sparked by Seth Godin's Grad School for the Unemployment Grad. His list was intended for college grads entering the job search looking for ways to fill that limbo six to 12 months before landing employment. He asks "what happens to job prospects" when you accomplish everything on that list? Adding to that I ask, what happens to perspective when you accomplish everything on that list and your own? Maybe a lot less hmph days.

Still keeping the paper bag nearby.

s