Since I've collected a paycheck since I was 15, when I got my worker's permit to be a library page at the North Suburban Library, there's a certain amount of stress to my predicament. I mean, I know it's weird to think about, but I've spent 17 years working already. And theoretically, I should have 35 years more to go.
But what I really want to do is to teach early education, and since plans to get a second master's fell through (I'm giving the big university the bird from my computer right now), I'm exploring my Parkland option starting in Spring 2009. That gives me six months, IF I decide to go that way, to be unemployed.
Or I could accept that career number two is not going to happen any time soon and get a position that works with me now. However, I'm finding a crazy amount of difficulty finding something part-time that wants me to work between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Everything has crazy evening or weekend hours attached to it that I can't participate in due to MacTroll's work schedule.
But if I went back to work, even only part time, I would be paying for X-man's pre-school, which he loves (he doesn't want to leave the Turtle room when I go to pick him up these days).
So here I sit thinking: Do I just make my house/home life my job and recognize that with everything I get done now during the week it means that MacTroll and I get pure, fun family time on the weekends? (i.e. I just own the housewife -- why is that such a dirty word to me? -- title and do it Dana-style) Or do I accept that making a meager paycheck doing good things for the community would ease some financial pressure and is, therefore, paramount.
Adding to the difficulty of the choice is my current weight loss goal. I'm rocking at the walking. I'm going to the gym. I'm cooking meals and really feeling very in tune with my body. I never feel any of this is important when I'm working. In fact, because I work, single parent, and do the house stuff, I feel completely overwhelmed most times. But at the end of the day... there's that damn check.
Sounds like a poll for people who know far more than I do... :-)
Look to the right if you want to be quantitative or leave a comment if you're all about the qualitative. You're obviously welcome to do both, too.
