I am currently unemployed. While there are plenty of people who share that condition, particularly those in my age range, I reckon I have it pretty easy. First, it was a matter of choice, a necessary sacrifice in keeping up with my insane schedule this year while still retaining some small level of sanity. Second, I don't have the need to work--money is nice, sure, but it was more about recreation than anything else.

In July 2008 I achieved a busgirl position at the restaurant my mom was working at, where I rose through the ranks to become a food runner this past September. (A busser is a less prestigious personage because they bring back the dirty plates to the kitchen, while the runner brings out the untouched food to the table. It's a fine but important distinction) My parents have been working in the restaurant industry since I was a young girl, and I have to admit, there's not much to love about the life. 9-12 hour workdays, unruly customers, constant change. That last especially. My parents are highly sought after industry professionals who, nevertheless, have found themselves moving from one job to another as circumstances changed over the years.

The business is so unpredictable because it depends on consumption and must appeal to a wide base in order to survive. Eating out is a luxury that few people can afford to invest in with regularity. The jobs also involve relatively low skill at an entry level position, although true skill and noticeable knowledge takes years to accumulate, and is noticeable in the best servers. (Servers is the term for both waiters and waitresses.) Cooking is a similar matter. Anyone can be a dishwasher, maybe even throw together a few salads, but Executive Chefs don't get to be where they are overnight.

See, I did learn a little bit from my Human Geography class on the nature of business in various sectors.
Anyhow, I digress. How does that apply to employment?

My own experience in the restaurant business was much better than I expected. Working in a restaurant was a last resort for my summer job, since I've grown to be wary of the industry's unpredictability. But I decided to take what was offered--since it would be nice to work alongside my mom. I didn't expect much beyond a few months employment, maybe a little extra cash for my savings account.

But what I found was an amazingly supportive working environment, with an array of fabulous, friendly fellow employees. I've been told that this was an exception--most restaurant staffs have a snobbish hierarchy and a pronounced distaste for newcomers--but I could not have been happier. Working became not just work, but a social event, and I cultivated positive relationships with my boss, my co-workers, and many customers.

In spite of how much I enjoyed working, I found that I was increasingly pressed for time. Not only was I neglecting my schoolwork, but my all-important extracurriculars, including this blog, were suffering woefully. So I decided to give it a rest, with tentative plans to return, perhaps in the Spring, whenever my time became less limited.

So, I gave notice. (Or "quit," in slightly less genteel terms) and for the past two months I've been experiencing life as it once was--sans job. And I'm reaping the benefits.

For what I had expected, they were minimal. I have a little more time to spend on schoolwork, yes, and I've spent a bit more time writing and puttering around the house--but the biggest difference I've noticed is how much more time I'm able to spend with my family. My parents both work weekends, but I get to see them during the week, for more than the amount of time it takes to say "hi." And my younger brothers have become my constant companions, for better or worse. Which is all as it should be. Something is inherently wrong when all you can give to your family is a quick greeting, before running off to the next item on your agenda. When our closest companions start being treated like mere acquaintances, something's wrong.

So I have reaped some benefits, although not quite the ones' I had expected.