Hurrah! Go to sign on this morning at local job centre. No end to the excitement in my life. A man who is smoking outside the front door has a dog with him which reminds me of Frankenstein. It looks like it has been made up bits of other dogs, by someone who clearly cannot sew. Its jowly bulldog head is too big for its body and the little legs attached to each corner only just keeps its undercarriage off the concrete. As I approach it squares up to me and I see it's wearing a leather chest harness. It has shiny brass studs on it and looks similar to the world heavy weight boxing belt. The dog leaps snarling and snacking and the man yells "get doon yer silly bugger" yanks it back, preventing it from surgically removing my legs below the knee, as I nip past to report for my two weekly appointment.
George is on reception, never mind the weather or the time of day he is always smiling and remembers everyone's name. He is commiserating with Jed who has been made redundant at 64, after working for a local farm supplies company since leaving school.
"Nearly fifty years," Jed says shaking his head, looking down at the black pom pom hat in his hands "me son lost his job at same time, he's goin to be alright though, he's gotten a temporary job on the neighbour's farm but me, I don't have a clue, what about you pet,"" he says turning to me," any luck?"
"Errm," I stutter, afraid to tell him that since I signed up for Job Seekers Allowance last September I have been offered:
1. Cleaner at care home
2. Christmas Till Operator at local discount warehouse
3. Double Glazing Salesperson for company named after famous mountain
4. Delivery person of latest edition of phone directory (with yellow pages) in very rural area
5. Canvassing door to door for Census
As I had asked for anything to do with freelance writing, Ihate to be picky but nothing immediately grabbed me.
"Writing a book, our Fiona is," George says.
"I only want something part time." I say, thinking about the hours it will take to shape the tangled mass of words into something resembling a novel. Is it possible or have I gone completely tonto?
Now Fifi I think that you are being a bit fussy with regards to all those job offers...they are all on a par( or marginally better) to what we both did last year.......
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