How Can THAT be good??

There has to be something good about everything that happens in life, even the God-awful, absolutely crap, I'm-off-to-make-a-noose occurrences.

Being on the dole is bad. According to everyone, ever. Actually, I'm not technically on the dole myself, as I haven't received anything at all yet.

This is because everything takes three times as long at the Jobcentre as it does in the normal world/private sector. This is an algorithm I worked out while waiting on the sofa for half an hour for a timed appointment I'd been given with an 'advisor'.

Do you remember that bit in 'Lord of the Rings' where Gandalf goes from being grey to being bright white? It wasn't because he battled with an horrific demonic being in the depths of hell after being ripped off the Bridge of Khazad-dum. 

    

          Looking ace - has job

It was because, after years of college courses and working his fingers to the bone to become a bad-ass wizard, he found himself unemployed and had no choice but to apply for jobseekers allowance. 

He waited with the utmost patience and politeness for it to come through and gritted his teeth as he tolerated every instance of misinformation, false hope and delays. His phone bill shot through the roof of his cottage, due to the number of phone calls to helplines he was told to make, only to be kept on hold for half an hour each time. This is what it did to him. 

"I'll bet he's on the dole"

Anyway, the point is, there are some pros to being unemployed, if you look for them hard enough. Here are mine:

You have time for things (if you focus on making time for things).

DIY - come on, everyone's tiles need a grout.

Creativity - what better time to make that potato-print tablecloth/sock puppet/tea cozy?

Self-training - Use the internet to teach yourself something useful - the basics of another language, how to use Photoshop, web development/coding, sign language, use your imagination....

Reading books - lots of time for this - also makes one's brain fatter.

Reading newspapers - now you can get political. And do sudoku.

Cookery - There are some excellent cakes hiding from you, make them happen.

Health - This can go either way, but trying easy/free stuff like jogging and online exercise tutorials could ensure you don't physically grow into the sofa.

Looks good, probably isn't

College courses - There are some you can get for free. Allegedly. Ask the Jobcentre. Maybe not. Look at Gandalf the White. Enquire at your own risk.

Clear out - Come on, be honest and ruthless. Instead of tripping over that cardboard box at the side of your bed every morning, just tip it all into the bin. Similarly with clothes - when did you last wear the puffball skirt that takes up half of the wardrobe?

Cycle - The cost of a bike - and you could probably get one for free somewhere if you try hard enough - is very much worth the fun of whizzing about on it.

Write/blog - come on, everyone wants to know what you think! Yes, they do. Right.....?

Signing (on),

YAC.