Well, I can't say I don't sympathize. When I was in school, I seemed to be made of bullshit, and I basically wrote the same paper over and over and over. Now, (along with the majority of my artistic drive), I seem to have lost my talent for even that, and am reduced to "I liked it" for just about everything.
And I've been in retail hell, too, and you're right, it's like a different language, one that you don't care to learn, even. I honestly don't know who can bear to do it their entire lives. This is perhaps why beer was invented.
But I will say this: I've been working as a bookkeeper for Michael and as a webdesigner in general, and now I'm starting in with home organizing and decorating, and NONE of it has required me to write a paper of any kind. I have written nothing more extensive than a fax cover sheet since 2004, when I got out of college. So, there is an end in sight. It seems as if no one ever has to write these things anymore, unless they get a job in academia or research. It seems silly that they have you do so much of it, in preparation for basically nothing.
But who says you have to do something that requires an academic bent at all? You mentioned that you like physical labor (but without the customer service aspect) so there's something, definitely. Hell, I'm cleaning peoples' houses! I don't write the papers, I organize them!
But I think that teaching English is too steady for you. You like a change of pace, something new. Try freelancing with something you enjoy doing. You get in, you get out, and the landscape always changes (especially if you're a freelance landscaper). I've had no success at steady things (and yes, I was full time with Michael for a year, but I eventually had to break down and go to part time, since there was more I wanted to do, and I felt like 5 days a week, every week was like a merry-go-round I couldn't get off of), and freelance has been the answer. Things change, and I keep busy without being bored to hell or feeling like I'm at school again waiting for the bell to go off. Instead, I feel more like a superhero waiting to see the bat signal in the sky (okay, bookkeeping is far less dramatic than that, but no less nerve-wracking).
I dunno, it's something to consider. Maybe be a hitchhiker?
I actually applied to... I think it was Northwest Airlines, to be a luggage handler. They kept giving me the runaround "Call us!" "We'll call you!" "We'll never actually get down to business and talk about hiring you!", so I gave up on that and called it a relief for my upper body. Too bad- I could have gotten a free plane ticket.
I've considered doing WWOOF (worldwide organic... ox farming)- they give you free room, board, food, whatever in exchange for working on a hippy dippy farm. You choose how long you want to work, and they have farms all over the world, so I could country-hop that way. And from what I hear, there is some time to get out and do things besides farming.
I have a bugproof hammock (with a rain canopy) and a backpack, and it's not beneath me to dumpster dive or hitchhike, so really I have all I need in life. I just need to get going!
A luggage handler? That keeps you tied to one airport...not so fun.
The ox farming sounds promising, and it certainly opens up scope for travel. The question remains, though, do you want to smell like oxen 24/7/365?
Gosh, I envy that kind of freedom, but it also frightens me. I think I'd feel too adrift if I really did it, but I've always thought about 'not living by the rules' since it's anyone's earth, really, and there's no reason why we HAVE to keep to the human settlements and live by their rules. It may be more safe from wildlife, though, but that's it.
no, no, not a luggage handler as a permanent job, just a temporary one until i leave for prague. i thought maybe i could have gotten my ticket to prague for free, but then i found out that northwest airlines doesn't go to prague.
and i said ox farming as a joke because i didn't know what the other 'o' stood for. turns out it's worldwide *opportunities* on organic farms. so i'll probably smell like dirt and vegetables instead of oxen, which is much better.
what, you don't want to go gamboling about with cougars?
Well if you're just playing the slots with them, I guess it's great if you intend to snatch some of the coins that come flooding out. Otherwise you'd better hope those are some very generous cougars.
And I've been in retail hell, too, and you're right, it's like a different language, one that you don't care to learn, even. I honestly don't know who can bear to do it their entire lives. This is perhaps why beer was invented.
But I will say this: I've been working as a bookkeeper for Michael and as a webdesigner in general, and now I'm starting in with home organizing and decorating, and NONE of it has required me to write a paper of any kind. I have written nothing more extensive than a fax cover sheet since 2004, when I got out of college. So, there is an end in sight. It seems as if no one ever has to write these things anymore, unless they get a job in academia or research. It seems silly that they have you do so much of it, in preparation for basically nothing.
But who says you have to do something that requires an academic bent at all? You mentioned that you like physical labor (but without the customer service aspect) so there's something, definitely. Hell, I'm cleaning peoples' houses! I don't write the papers, I organize them!
But I think that teaching English is too steady for you. You like a change of pace, something new. Try freelancing with something you enjoy doing. You get in, you get out, and the landscape always changes (especially if you're a freelance landscaper). I've had no success at steady things (and yes, I was full time with Michael for a year, but I eventually had to break down and go to part time, since there was more I wanted to do, and I felt like 5 days a week, every week was like a merry-go-round I couldn't get off of), and freelance has been the answer. Things change, and I keep busy without being bored to hell or feeling like I'm at school again waiting for the bell to go off. Instead, I feel more like a superhero waiting to see the bat signal in the sky (okay, bookkeeping is far less dramatic than that, but no less nerve-wracking).
I dunno, it's something to consider. Maybe be a hitchhiker?
Reply
I've considered doing WWOOF (worldwide organic... ox farming)- they give you free room, board, food, whatever in exchange for working on a hippy dippy farm. You choose how long you want to work, and they have farms all over the world, so I could country-hop that way. And from what I hear, there is some time to get out and do things besides farming.
I have a bugproof hammock (with a rain canopy) and a backpack, and it's not beneath me to dumpster dive or hitchhike, so really I have all I need in life. I just need to get going!
Reply
The ox farming sounds promising, and it certainly opens up scope for travel. The question remains, though, do you want to smell like oxen 24/7/365?
Gosh, I envy that kind of freedom, but it also frightens me. I think I'd feel too adrift if I really did it, but I've always thought about 'not living by the rules' since it's anyone's earth, really, and there's no reason why we HAVE to keep to the human settlements and live by their rules. It may be more safe from wildlife, though, but that's it.
Reply
and i said ox farming as a joke because i didn't know what the other 'o' stood for. turns out it's worldwide *opportunities* on organic farms. so i'll probably smell like dirt and vegetables instead of oxen, which is much better.
what, you don't want to go gamboling about with cougars?
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