The Creative Moo

Coming back from Phoenix this week, I had the pleasure (read: luck) of meeting an actual published author, Judith Avila. She happened to take the middle seat between our new client contact and me. She was vibrating with excitement, which I learned was all derived from having an advanced copy of her new book, Code Talker, which she co-wrote with the last remaining code talker, Chester Nez.

The hour flight went quickly as I got to hear – and be inspired by – Judy’s quest to make her writing dreams a reality. And this never-give-up attitude has really struck a nerve with me, because lately I haven’t had much of one to do much writing. And that’s just wrong.

So here I am, shaking the dust off this blog (as well as needing to do the same to a couple others I have going) and began to start writing something, anything, that I want to write and not what is dictated by my day job.

Here goes nothing…..

It was only a matter of time I suppose, for seemingly spontaneous crowdsourcing to begin doing something with more of a social conscious. Sure, there has been Hallelujah outbreaks and dance numbers in food courts and train stations (or, frankly, anywhere there are people in mass that allow for anonymous hordes to blend in before randomly joining in the fun). But now social media is bringing attention to societal nuisances using a flash mob.

I guess the unique aspect to this social experiment that took place in our neighbor to the North was that this particular flash mob involved an unsuspecting heroine. Seeing her surprise at merely “doing the right thing” (after so many ignored/stepped over/went around the “problem” that is really starting to bury the landscape or, in this instance, a mall corridor) was refreshing. I know I’ve been guilty of seeing trash and walking right by it because “I didn’t put it there.”

Seeing this anti-litter message on YouTube made me think back to my days of living in the Lone Star State and the whole “Don’t Mess With Texas” campaign (that I’ve just discovered is now been around for 25 years).

Back in 1985, Texas had a big problem. A litter problem. To battle this big, expensive roadside mess, the Texas Highway Commission launched an extensive public education campaign. Using research, we identified the state’s worst offenders and how best to reach them, and with that — the legend was born. And we’ve been reminding Texans to keep litter off the roads ever since.

Of course, to really show my age, I find it rather ironic in the fact that the whole “DMWT” campaign initially relied on outdoor boards to deliver its message goes completely against another famous Texan’s efforts to beautify the nations roadways: Lady Bird Johnson. Her whole campaign to make driving a much more pleasant experience faced stiff opposition from none other than….you guessed it, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.

“In a nutshell, her program is, ‘masses of flowers where masses pass.’ Water, lights and color-mass of flowers-those things spell beautification to her,” Lady Bird wrote in her diary after a meeting.

What it all comes around to is that now, some 40+ years after Lady Bird planted the seed of thought to plant flowers along our states’ highways, anti-litter programs are embracing new technology (and one that only clogs up the information highway) to broadcast the message that still falls on deaf ears (and obviously out of sightlines, too)…..

Clean up yer friggin’ mess!

yesterday was my first day back to FT work. it feels odd — but also great — to be getting back into a regular routine and regular paycheck. but it’s going to be more than that. it’s going to be an awesome opportunity to grow/learn/push myself. i’ll miss not being the “boss” of my day, but i’m grateful to be back earning a regular paycheck.

the group welcomed me with open arms. it’s like being back with family in a way (i’ve been freelancing for them for the past year). at the risk of sounding…old…i’m happy to be working with a group that is mostly my age (40s). they’re a talented group, and my initial reaction is that i will be happy here for quite awhile.

speaking of family….had the pleasure of actually getting to celebrate my mom’s birthday with more than a card in the mail and a phone call. first time in probably 20 years that i actually got to be with her on her birthday. definitely solidifies the decision we made months ago to relocate closer to them.

i’m ready for some normalcy (well, as much as that’s possible with my life), some roots. the past couple of years were dominated by a feeling of restlessness. i guess part of that can be attributed to losing two jobs in a 9 month period. the other dominant factor was the period i wondered in my own darkness. it’s interesting how we can be living in what we think is brightness, only to finally discover (through self- and other guided observation) that i was lost. thankfully i had awesome support at home. i also found support through a series of random endeavors.

now that i’ve found the light (carol ann!), i’ve ventured back into things that brought me joy. i’m playing tennis more regularly. i’ve joined a choral group. i’m getting more social. now to have a real kitchen back so i can get back to real cooking, i’ll be, well, more satisfied. And full.

now, back to work (it still feels “odd” to say that….or type it). guess 15 months of “freedom” can’t be changed overnight…or after one day on the job.

I should know better than to watch the Rachel Maddow show. (Actually, I love her, and her show. She is one of the brightest — and most intelligent — people on TV, news or otherwise.)

But listening to her report on the GOP snubbing of the unemployment extension really hit home, and quite literally. I’ve been receiving an unemployment check (full or partial, depending on my freelance work…what little that has been) for the past 15 months. During this whole time, I have been on many interviews, sent out a ton of feelers, responded to gawd knows how many job postings. The majority of my efforts were met with nothing. A few warranted phone conversations. Even fewer turned into actual meet-and-greets. But none came with job offers.

There were times that it appeared the job market in SoCal was starting to pick up a bit. Jobs were popping up on the boards. Recruiters were calling. But the majority of the jobs would have required hellish commuting (granted, I would have to actually land the gig first). And by this point, we had set the ball in motion to relocate to a much more affordable area that also was pointing to a possible FT job.

So we up and moved. We put our house on the market. We began the process of uprooting our lives to a place that was calling us, and seemed to be calling itself “home.”

I maintained my unemployment while continuing to reach out to prospective employers. I joined Ad Clubs and networked my ass off. I even applied for a government job that would only allow 25 hours/week for the first year. And for the first 4 months after relocating, I’ve gotten a few small freelance projects, but mostly relied on the unemployment checks to live and pay for my COBRA benefits.

Last week’s unemployment stub stated that I was down to my last $900 in benefits for this claim. I kept telling myself that I was eligible until at least November. And after what happened today, I wonder if that would be the case. Seems the Republican Senators managed to squash any hopes of passing the jobs bill, including an extension of weekly unemployment benefits for millions of people out of work more than six months…just like me.

I can stomach some of the election-year posturing. What I can’t stand are the comments like “unemployment benefits are the reason why people don’t want to go back to work” and “we don’t want to give checks to people who only want to use it to buy drugs” and “unemployment encourages people to breed.” Well, fuck you very much! I have been busting my ass looking for work. I have NOT been sitting around, eating bonbons that I bought with the money I received for unemployment. It has helped keep a roof over my head, food on my table, and health insurance in case of an emergency.

Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about whether or not my benefits will be extended. Thankfully, a relationship I’ve been cultivating for the last 12 months has finally resulted in an actual FT job offer.

Thankfully, I start a new job on Monday.

But, thankfully, I won’t forget what these pompous assholes in Washington (and I mean on BOTH sides of the table) are doing. They spend more time and effort protecting the have’s from the have not’s. Protecting their piece of the pie that seems to keep getting bigger while the “little people” watch theirs shrink.

I’ll also make sure to keep my ass employed with everything I’ve got. I don’t want to endure this long of an employment drought again if I can help it. But maybe it’s time that some of these naysayers in Washington find themselves on the unemployment line. There are elections coming in a few months.