I mention every now and then here on the blog that I often wrestle with whether it’s time to go back to work. As I contemplate my phase of life and consider reentering the workforce someday, I can’t help but wonder if I have any marketable skills. When it’s time to refresh my resume, there’s going to be quite a gap. The entire world has changed since I last had a job. The iPhone hadn’t even come out yet when I left work!
Anyway, another thing I wrestle with is whether I’m too old to have a blog. I mean, I’m about to turn 40, and my hobby is basically keeping an online journal. Is that weird? Is it???
Sigh.
I’m not stopping, though. I love having a (small, quiet, unknown) blog. I really do. I love that I can go back and read memories from years and years ago. Sometimes I’m so impressed with my former self and wonder how I used to be so wise (and what happened?) Other times I’m super embarrassed by my old self and think, “I can’t believe she said that!”
The other day I found a photo on my phone of a can of paint spilled in my storage room. I had forgotten all about that incident and couldn’t remember how it happened. The next photo was of the soles of a pair of Daisy’s shoes covered in paint.
Did Daisy spill the paint?
First I checked Instagram to see if I could find an explanation. I didn’t find anything, so I tried looking for the story on my blog. I didn’t find it! So I still don’t know how the paint ended up on my storage room floor! The answer has to be out there somewhere. I had to have snuck it into my blog or social media. I just haven’t found the right search terms yet. But that is one of the perks of blogging and social media. I will solve this mystery!
I always enjoy looking back through my archives to see how we spent Christmas or what we did on a long past vacation. Sometimes my blog helps answer questions like when did our cat die? or when did we buy our first van?
I’ve also found that my blog has become my unofficial resume, which brings me back to my first paragraph and wondering if I have any marketable skills.
I don’t know if I have anything an employer would be looking for. I haven’t worked in years. I’m the boss everywhere I go, so I no longer know how to be managed or supervised (did I ever, though?) I don’t have the latest computer or technology skills. I rarely get ready for the day, and I don’t like to wear anything that doesn’t have a stretchy waistband, so you definitely don’t want me to be the first thing someone sees when they walk into your company!
Every time I post something on my blog or on social media that might seem a little “braggy” or “look-what-I-did-ish” I wonder if maybe I shouldn’t. For example, I just redecorated my Christmas tree, and I wanted to write a blog post about it, but is it boastful or pompous to post pictures of my Christmas tree? Will it make other people feel… I don’t want to say “bad”… but maybe…pressure? That’s not what I want. I really don’t like that aspect of our online culture - people making other people feel inferior or insulted or like what you have or what you do isn’t good enough (even very well-meaning content generators have this effect). So I often hesitate to share things like look at the jell-o I made! or here are the photos from my 57th trip to Disneyland or check out my amazing produce because I worry that I’m showing off or flaunting something.
But recently I’ve realized that posting things online has given me some opportunities I might not otherwise have because it shows people what I’m like and some of the things I can do, and that’s why I say that my online content is like an unofficial resume.
For example, I know an elderly lady who needed some help with her Christmas tree a couple of years ago. She was worried that because of some health things she was going through that she might not be able to get her Christmas tree up and decorated for the season. I offered to help her, but she apologetically told me that she’s incredibly picky about her Christmas tree, and that she would rather not have one at all than have it decorated below her standards. I was torn between thinking that was silly and understanding perfectly, because I’m kind of the same way. So I told her that I would be on call if she needed me, and I didn’t press her further. A few days later, she called me and said she might take me up on my offer, because she saw my Christmas tree in the background of a photo on Facebook, and she liked it, so she felt like she might be able to trust me to help her with her tree. In the end, she didn’t request my help, but it made me aware that a random Facebook photo had become a showcase for my taste in tree decor, and it suited her, so she felt more comfortable about my offer to help.
I had a similar experience with helping out with the musical at the high school this year. Some of the tasks I took on were entrusted to me because the people in charge had seen some photos of some projects I’ve done in the past as well as some of my thrift store finds, so they knew they could ask me to help locate and revamp some things they needed.
I’m not saying I have all these amazing skills that everyone should request because I’m extensively gifted or anything like that. What I mean is that people can have a sneak peak of my habits, hobbies, and style (and my attitude), and if it’s acceptable to them, they know they can call upon me to help them out.
So if you’re looking for someone to teach a dance class, decorate a Christmas party, bake muffins, glue sequins on a costume, paint a scene, teach a workshop, feed 100 people, or color your sidewalk, I might be your gal. What I can offer is here on display.
Unfortunately, I haven’t made a dime doing any of those things, so that still leaves me unemployed with no marketable skills, but maybe someday I’ll be able to fulfill my dream of being a licensed family therapist/cosmetologist*/author/sketch comedian/choreographer like I’ve always hoped. In the meantime, I’ll keep using blogging and social media as my unofficial resume for things I don’t get paid to do.
Just keep in mind that I make big messes, sit on paint can lids, and throw away important documents, so if I ever seem braggy, just remember that I balance it out with my idiocy (future employers beware).
*I actually don’t want to be a cosmetologist, but I think the world needs licensed therapists who can do hair because how great would it be to have therapy and get your hair done at the same time? So I’m willing to become a cosmetologist just to provide this service. Then I’ll write a book about it.
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