Monday, July 26, 2004
Day One
As a condition of getting help from the state while Shawn can't work, I have to be looking for a job. Specifically I'm supposed to be spending 40 hours a week looking for a job.
Today I had the first of 5 mornings in a WorkFirst training workshop designed to get me ready for the job search scene. Getting a resume, learning to dress appropriately etc. It really wasn't so bad. The instructor, Alice, is nice, she laughs a lot and is friendly. My only complaint with Alice so far is that she moves around WAY too much while she talks and she makes too much eye contact. I know you're supposed to make eye contact when you're talking to a group but does it all have to be with me? I always felt like she was waiting for an answer from me.
One of the exercises was to write down why we want to work. Fact is I don't. But I decided that wasn't the answer they were looking for. I wrote instead that I wanted to be able to provide for my family while my husband is out of work. That's true enough.
In another exercise we had to wrote down our biggest accomplishments and successes. I had a hard time with that. Quite frankly I don't feel that I have accomplished many big things and all of the big things I do are works in progress. My big accomplishments are
*Birthing a 10lb 9.6 oz baby at home.
*Keeping my marriage together when it seemed destined to fail.
*Keeping my kids out of daycare.
These ARE big accomplishments for me and many of the people I associate with but in a Workfirst group where the big accomplishments were 'Divorcing my husband after 12 years' and 'Helping my daughter get good grades in school', well, I felt a little out of place and I honestly felt that what I consider accomplishments in my life are almost the exact opposite of most of the other participants.
We also had to list our goals. This was hard for me. Most of my goals are far off and idealistic and not things I'm actively working towards. My goal right now is to make it to September and find a way to pay my husband's medical bills.
Also I've decided I should take up smoking. Because in this workshop (which is only 3 hours long) we get 3 ten minute breaks to smoke. WOW!
Comments-[ comments.]
Today I had the first of 5 mornings in a WorkFirst training workshop designed to get me ready for the job search scene. Getting a resume, learning to dress appropriately etc. It really wasn't so bad. The instructor, Alice, is nice, she laughs a lot and is friendly. My only complaint with Alice so far is that she moves around WAY too much while she talks and she makes too much eye contact. I know you're supposed to make eye contact when you're talking to a group but does it all have to be with me? I always felt like she was waiting for an answer from me.
One of the exercises was to write down why we want to work. Fact is I don't. But I decided that wasn't the answer they were looking for. I wrote instead that I wanted to be able to provide for my family while my husband is out of work. That's true enough.
In another exercise we had to wrote down our biggest accomplishments and successes. I had a hard time with that. Quite frankly I don't feel that I have accomplished many big things and all of the big things I do are works in progress. My big accomplishments are
*Birthing a 10lb 9.6 oz baby at home.
*Keeping my marriage together when it seemed destined to fail.
*Keeping my kids out of daycare.
These ARE big accomplishments for me and many of the people I associate with but in a Workfirst group where the big accomplishments were 'Divorcing my husband after 12 years' and 'Helping my daughter get good grades in school', well, I felt a little out of place and I honestly felt that what I consider accomplishments in my life are almost the exact opposite of most of the other participants.
We also had to list our goals. This was hard for me. Most of my goals are far off and idealistic and not things I'm actively working towards. My goal right now is to make it to September and find a way to pay my husband's medical bills.
Also I've decided I should take up smoking. Because in this workshop (which is only 3 hours long) we get 3 ten minute breaks to smoke. WOW!
Comments:
Post a Comment
