Being Self-Employed: Landing on Your Feet
During the 80s there was a very trite social ideology that dominated the then 'working' world: it was known as "Murphy's Law" and it's creed went something like this: "If something can go wrong it will. . . and if something CAN'T go wrong it will!"
For the past 3 weeks our family has been moving from one state to another. Now that of itself may seem to be a daunting task, which it is, however, we were/are fairly close to the state line (about 25 miles) so the distance of 63 miles isn't quite as daunting as the cross country move from Cali to Georgia I made just 18 months ago.
Being Foresighted, Talented and Wise, attributes endowed by living long enough to survive and learn from youthful mistakes, all the necessary arrangements were made with the pertinent life services providers in order to ensure a smooth and successful transfer of the accustomed necessities for living and engaging in our various home based businesses. That being said the so-called "Murphy's Law" made a grand appearance in our lives to the extent that it provided me an opportunity to see just how much I had'bitten off more than I could chew" by way of work commitments
and was way past needing a regenerating holiday. . .
Of course packing and lifting boxes and crates; moving these same boxes and crates to our various vehicles; driving the 63 miles back and forth a couple of times [we live so extremely compactly none of us thought to rent a truck] was in and of itself more than a 'notion' for folks that all have seen their 55th birthday come and go like the passing of an ordinary day. . . But when you add the failure of the good 'ole' phone company to process the order for service transfer [landline, cell & DSL]; realizing after the 7th or 8th round trip that we weren't as 'young' or 'wise' as we initially imagined ourselves to
be; the failure of the power company to turn on the power in the new home [being able to sleep over those 3rd or 4th trips would have alleviated a tremendous amount of the fatigue that ensued] that we SHOULD have rented a truck and packed all our 'compact' belongings therein; finding out 2 days prior to moving OUT of our previous home that the promised phone service would NOT be available for 6 additional days; the mysterious 'vanishing act' of very precious and methodically packed keepsakes and whimsies AND the absolutely necessary frame of reference change that comes with being in new and/or unfamiliar surroundings and I had a classic deja vu experience feeling as though I was struggling to awaken from a very distasteful dream!
So it goes without saying that even when I did figure out that I could stay current with my writing projects although I couldn't upload anything to cyberspace, physically my body and brain were just plain weary from all the "Murphying" what we had been experiencing for longer than any one of us cared to recall.
And that's what prompted the realization that carried my sweet little 'ole' ever childish mind back to the 80s: I never liked that Murphy's Law concept NOR the popular song that was spawned of it! Seeing that we were all pushing ourselves with the temerity of retired greyhounds when they hear a starting bell, just to get 'one more thing done' before going to bed and getting some sorely required rest FINALLY brought restored clarity of genius to mind: I [and of course the other family members] needed a break! I needed to sit down and listen to the birds, tree frogs, insects and other sounds of life while sitting outside under or near some stately tree(s). I needed to prepare and eat a large green salad with onions, garlic, carrots, beets, jalapeños and tomatoes [all of my favorites] and take my time to taste and savor each divine bite which was EXACTLY what the circumstances were encouraging me to do!
Although we did have to make umpteen calls to AT&T in order to get the DSL transferred and installed, after the 3rd day of talking to techs I was in good humor and full of laughs and even teasing with them because I realized there wasn't anything that they could actually do in a system that has gone the way of automation, outsourcing and general acquiescence to "Murphy's Law!" Ok, most of the time we got that confounding automated system that inevitably cut us off after 20 minutes of being on hold (I'm convinced it's programmed to monitor customer comments and disconnect when profanity and grumbling is detected). There is also a distinct feeling of abandonment when talking to a tech or service rep that could benefit greatly from a refresher ESL course when attempting to explain, again, that the service was TRANSFERRED weeks ahead of time and not a new installation that I finally managed to recognize was simply a part of the new millennium. Naturally the dread of feeling abandoned by the service providers that gleefully collected hard earned moneys for services only begrudgingly rendered was just a precursor to the joy and appreciation of getting a 'home grown' tech on the line when the call center rotation landed in the US. . .
.
Eventually through all of the seemingly avoidable consternation I remembered that I had managed to complete a website for a customer in the wee hours of the morning before our final move and that was the spark that fanned the flame of enlightenment only possessed of the childlike mind! The truth of the entire matter was/is: EVERYTHING works together for good, so just go with the flow and take it nice and slow!
And THAT'S how I managed to Land On My Feet and not blow a fuse in the face of apparent orchestrated mindless madness: my inevitable return to seeing the glass as 'nearly full of everything that I need and desire' at any given moment!
Clarity and focus is the eye of the storm for when headed for a tumble or even while tumbling, choosing not to get caught up in a panic or outright rage always provides the vision to see how to tuck and roll or simply straighten up and land precisely on one's feet.
YE is Here!
SUR-BET Global Enterprise Network
YE is an author; electronics, computer & gadget geek; Certified Holistic Health Consultant; WebPreneur; grandmother and devoted traveler that currently resides in Georgia. She can be contacted for interviews, consultations and general comments at either of her websites.
©2008 S.U.R.-B.E.T. Publishing
