Hi, again, folks, from the Bastion on the (Puget) Sound. As I’m writing this, it’s about an hour before sunrise. The house is quiet, as it usually is, and there’s a light rain falling through the evergreens in the front yard. I’ve been sitting here with a cup of coffee and contemplation. It’s a kind of Zen way to start the week; raveled before things start becoming a little unraveled. And it works great as long as I don’t have a stupid attack.
The news media in Seattle is the mellowest on the West Coast. They reflect their audience/listenership/readership. Nobody shouts here. We’re not an angry community, mostly. A fair portion of us come from regions considerably less civilized than ours and we’re not much into reminding one another of what we came here to escape. We’re extremely interactive and we have a reputation for looking after our own and helping those of our neighbors beyond our region, we can.
Some mornings, though, it’s just not a good idea for me to start the day by watching the morning news. I’m starting to get real tired of the vitriolic criticism of a president who has been in office just over one month and who inherited a legacy of some 96 months.
To me, this kind of whining just reflects the same "quick fix/immediate gratification" attitude that got us into this monumental mess in the first place. And when people like Rush Limbaugh initiate a campaign designed to make this economic stimulus package fail, I find myself wondering just how in touch with the rest of us individuals like him really are. It makes me angry and at a time when a cool head is really needed, Rush baby is NOT helping.
And who are "the rest of us"? Well, I’m one of them, so are a lot of you and everyone knows someone like "us". I’ve been out of work for several months now and I spend 12 hours a day, six days a week looking for it. My unemployment is running out soon and I’m hoping that the relief that will extend it and provide more jobs comes in time to keep me and thousands like me from going homeless.
I hope this relief effort is better orchestrated than Katrina and that rather than waiting until all the funds are available, the respective government entities start phasing it in immediately.
I’ll be 60 this month and like so many here in the Puget Sound and across the nation, I’m a seasoned professional with a good secondary employment battery of data entry, word processing and office administration skills. In a healthy economy, employment would not be an issue.
In a transitional one, it should not be either. As these funds commence to flow and projects start up, there’s going to be a real need for people who can step into managerial/ admin and clerical positions quickly, confidently, and with very low maintenance.
They’re going need to be problem-solvers, capable of working both within the system and outside the box; who believe, as JFK did, that any human problem ~ since it was created by human beings ~ is capable of being solved by same. Since I believe attitude is all, perhaps most importantly, they’re going to need to be those who approach a "problem" as a challenge, a growth opportunity, or simply something which needs to get taken care of and off the To Do List.
To me that would also create at least three job options and variations thereof; onsite, part time onsite, and totally telecommuting. I would also hope that it would produce part-time employment, as well. It might just be that as new companies get going and older ones adapt, it would be easier for them to parcel work out in smaller packages.
If enough of those kinds of jobs show up, it will be possible for a lot of us to survive and make a reasonable living. Even with controlled spending in the retail sector, that segment would benefit, as well.
Our media here in Seattle is responding to the concerns of people like me by keeping us informed of who is hiring; where to look for jobs; how best to present; how to enjoyably reduce the cost of living and best utilize both the resources at hand and those evolving. They also keep us abreast of how federal and state funds are progressing through the system.
They also let us know where we can go for the basics, if, God forbid and the relief doesn’t arrive in time, we need them. Seattle is not without its homeless and the community’s never been proud of that. It’s a lesson we’re learning now, though, and with some chagrin. We were a little slow on the uptake with this one and that’s going to stay with us for awhile.
As things roll along, we’re going to see a lot of creative options coming to or originating from the Puget Sound. You’ll be reading about them here and hopefully sharing with the rest of us what your community, region or state is doing to insure that we come out of this all much better than we went into it.
Until next week, then, take care, stay well and God Bless.
Rusty
1 comment:
At the risk of channeling Limbaugh [perish the thought!], I say, "Ditto." I'm stunned at the unwillingness to consider change. Heels are being dug in, and the natives are restless!
I wish you very good luck in your continuing job search. I believe the unemployment benefits extension is one of the things that will be immediately put into place, so that should give you some breathing room as you continue to look.
Best,
Beth
Post a Comment