(re)arrangements...

I'm a temp now. That's my job. That's my lifestyle. I'm temping. It's officially official. I've had back to back gigs since I started temping in December. That's four jobs in a row. This is no longer a stopgap thing until I find something better. It's working out pretty well, and although the two temp agencies I'm signed up with are calling me pretty regularly with positions, two of these jobs I've had in the last few months were actually gigs I landed myself - a friend needed a favor in one situation, and in the other, I was referred to the position (by a sweet lamb) and just happened to follow-up at the right time, it seems. There's something nice about feeling in control of my destiny in that way.

I was musing a month or two ago about whether or not I could actually make this temp lifestyle work long-term in the way I need it to, as opposed to just using it as a stopgap between more career-path-oriented day jobs. I do NOT want to have a career-path-oriented day job, I never have. It's one thing to know that about myself, but it's another thing to finally accept it and quit judging myself for it. But I'm doing it - it's certainly taking some adjustment, but it's working out better than I anticipated and I'm doing it. Frankly, it feels really "right" to honor the creative-career life I've been slowly building for myself for the last couple years. And I'm now officially working a day job for no other reason than to afford my after-hours lifestyle, which involves, among other endeavors, putting in a ton of hours with HST. Things are going swimmingly for us, as usual (we're some lucky jerks), and a more permanent day job arrangement would not, in fact, be worthwhile for me right now. Strange that that's what's real, but it is. I have to take too many days/weeks off for travel with the team to commit to a permanent employer.



(photo by: The Man)

There are lots of perks to this temp set-up: varied work environments; days, even weeks, off at a time when I need to; I don't have to "invest" in some organziation I'm supposed to pretend to really believe in (which was always the most miserable part of the permanent office job experience for me - faking it); new people and situations all the time.

There are also, I'm discovering, some....not-perks: you never really get to know anyone you're working with, nor they you; you never know what to expect, so some jobs you take suck; the pay and the hours can vary a lot; the job I'm currently on sucks huge youknowwhats and I want to poke my eyes out over it. I'm not being dramatic, it bloughs. BUT GUESS WHAT. IT'S ONLY FOR THREE WEEKS! I've had annoying jobs before and I can do anything for three weeks. Best of all, they don't have to like me, and I already know I don't like them. Sweet.




p.s. I just now realized that when you update this ticker thing, it automatically updates itself in all the places you've posted it previously too. I'm not sure I care for that, but I'm not sure how to change it. I'm also not sure anyone but me would even notice/care...No wait, I am sure - no one but me will notice/care. :)