Skip to content

Rikomatic

Musings on Dance, Food, Geek Stuff

Menu
  • Follow Me on Instagram
  • My Professional Site RangerRik.com
  • Every Roller Rink in California (Map)
Menu

Sunday Confession: The Underemployment Blues

Posted on October 30, 2011 by

Oakland Museum Visit - 17It's been almost 10 months that I've been back in California, making a somewhat illogical move away from a city that I love, many dear friends, and a fulfilling and steady paying job.  I moved here with no promise that I would find another position in my field, during a terrible recession when employment is way down.

When I relocated to the Bay, I was full of confidence that with all of the professional and personal connections, my unique history of work and accomplishments, and a supportive family nearby, that I wouldn't have to look long for a position that I enjoyed and paid decently.

Ten months later, I'm starting to feel that confidence slipping.  

It's not that I'm not working.  I'm doing good work, with good people for organizations that I respect. But it's part-time and piece-meal, without benefits or security.  And it's just barely tiding me over, not moving me toward something new.

And I know I should be grateful, since so many people have so much harder situations.  Chronic unemployment lasting for years, with families to care for.  People stuck in dead-end jobs because they have no other prospects. Folks in grinding poverty where housing, health and food are insecure.  I am so thankful that I get to live as well as I do, in a beautiful place, where I can worship, dance, and spend time with wonderful people.

Rik prepping I Dig Tanzania teensAnd I am still confident that I have a lot to offer a nonprofit, learning institution or company out there.  I can design and run digital media education programs, produce engaging in-person and virtual events, evangelize new tech tools, and manage diverse communities of people. And I can lead others to do the same. 

I still believe my best work is ahead of me, not behind.

But the path forward is not so clear today.  

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Freestyle to “Booty Swing” by Parov Stelar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3pMWtX0DdE

Recent Posts

  • Poor and Alone in Geneva
  • I Bought the 1982 EPCOT Map (print)
  • Yummiest Things I Ate in 2022
  • The Way to Prevent Alzheimer’s Is Right in Front of Us
  • 2022 in Review: Cake Bakes, Feeding the ‘Gram, Flexing My Diet, Disney with a Kid!

Categories

  • Books
  • Cats
  • Civil Society
  • Creative Writing
  • Current Affairs
  • Dancing / Music
  • Education
  • Family
  • Film
  • Food and Drink
  • Frankie Manning
  • Games
  • General
  • Health
  • Information Society
  • Machinima
  • Media Reform
  • Music
  • New York
  • Politics
  • Real World Places in SL
  • Religion
  • Science
  • SF Bay Area
  • Television
  • The Spirit
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • United Nations
  • Virtual Worlds
  • Web/Tech
  • Weblogs

Tags

b-boy (75) breakdance (50) breaking (26) brooklyn (36) charleston (11) competition (11) coney island (10) dance (17) dancing (30) documentary (15) education (21) festival (12) frankie95 (16) frankie manning (52) frim fram (10) global kids (70) hip-hop (31) human rights (11) inaug09 (11) jazz (12) lindyhop (17) lindy hop (141) lowcarb (18) lxd (11) macarthur foundation (12) machinima (22) memorial (14) mermaidparade (22) mtv (13) performance (16) pmt (10) popping (11) quaker (27) recipe (38) rockclimbing (16) second life (81) shim sham (15) skating (40) soul music (14) swing (51) swing dance (45) united nations (10) virtual world (19) virtual worlds (29) yehoodi (38)
© 2023 Rikomatic | Powered by Superbs Personal Blog theme