Thursday, April 13, 2006

Marking Time

Two more days and my current gig at Filacy's will be over. For the last two weeks, I've been on a farewell tour of the building, working first in one department and then another while the company honors its agreement to keep me employed through the 15th. As of Easter Sunday, I will be a free man.

Of course, the obvious question is: What next? Right now, I haven't a clue.

On Monday I will register for unemployment and there is a small severance package to help tide things over. To be on the safe side (the last time this happened it took me almost a year to find a new job) I will probably take the money in my 401K and put it in the savings as a buffer. I can always re-invest it later if I don't need it.

To be honest, I haven't really been thinking about a new job just yet. I mean, if someone came up to me and offered me something I thought I could do and paid reasonably well, I'd certainly look into it. But as for going out and actually searching for something new, I haven't done that.

In some respects I feel like an actor winding down from a long-running performance. I've played the same part now for almost five years and for the most part I've done it well. I've gotten good reviews and for a few years the play made money. Now, the backers have decided they want to go in a new direction and that means a new cast so I'm out. I understand, of course. It's nothing personal.

By the same token, I'm not sure I can just move to a different house and start putting on a new (or similar) performance every day. I think I need a break, to take some down time. How much down time depends on finances but as much as I can muster, I think.

So, onward into the undiscovered country.

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