2009: a pace oddity (part 1)

"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that"

-John Cook

So, I got back to the city from my country (ancestral) home recently and arrived at a house just in time to catch the last hour and a half of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I’ve seen some trippy films late at night on SBS but this one, if not taking the cake, atleast eats a slice before licking out the figurative icing bowl. (the one about the catholic monks who go on a road trip with some woman also took a slice).

Anyway, my intention is not to go on about obscure films here, but to think-out-loud about the year to come and how it will be different to this one. Admittedly it is only mid November, but, let’s face it, I have something like four blogs “in production” just now and the likelihood of this one being done by January isn’t good.

To really comprehend why I feel a bit foreshadowed by the year to come you really must know some things about the years past. At the moment I am looking back on nearly twenty-one years of unemployment. I have done “work” in bits and pieces, mostly in the form of education or the odd bit of volunteering or farm work for the folks, but never anything that constitutes a job. For the sixteen years previous to and including this one I have been a full time student, thirteen in school and three at uni, and that doesn’t even count kindergarten.

(about two months later – late January, 2009)

But this year is different. This year I am not a full time student. As a matter-of-fact, I am not even part time according to Centrelink (those who pay students, old people and the unemployed alike). My measly three units in the first semester don’t live up to their expectations. What’s more I have a job. ME! A JOB! It’s true to say that I haven’t actually officially worked yet, but I have a name tag and pay book.

(about four months later - mid May, 2009)

Time to finish this blog off. It doesn't reach a climax, but I suppose that, in an odd way, that's appropriate. The long anticipated changes spoken of above, he work, the uni, the life, none of them are an end to one thing or the beginning of another. They're just the ongoing continuation. The constant is still there (God and his saving work in my life). The semi-constants also remain (family, clothing etc.).

It's just a change of pace.

John

P.S. I guess the real pace oddity is this blog.