My days working never seemed to go as quickly as they do in retirement.
What is with that? Yesterday flew by.
We had terrible storms last evening. Rain, winds, power outages, and internet outages. Oh fun. Out of wine and gin too. What's a gal to do?
The storms will continue later today. Since it stopped raining, we ran to the grocery store to pick up a few things and stopped at the liquor store because we had our priorities.
The storms will begin again around 4ish but I have a baseball game on at 5p today. I am hoping for a nice afternoon of retirement, gin, and baseball. Now watch how fast that goes.
I found a post I wrote a very long time ago. It was after I left the corporate world and began working with Rick at the company he started. Now that I am retired it doesn't matter. When asked, What do I do? I just say I'm retired. No more questions asked.
Because my well is dry I am reposting this blog entry here -
MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2010
What Do You Do?
In our society, you are what you do.
Whether right or wrong, that is what it is.
When at a party how many times when introduced to new people do they ask you, "What do you do?"
I no longer have an easy answer for that and for the life of me, I don’t get why it bothers me so much.
Even when I did have a so-called title no one ever understood what the hell I did so I would then have to explain. At times that was frustrating to me as well...and I'm sure boring to them. No one really gives a rat's ass but it's a nice thing to ask and chat about quickly. Sometimes I would just make shit up. Easier for party banter because I would never see them again. Or else I would dumb my job down and just say I was in sales.
No one ever asks you deep questions but at least I had something to say compared to my answer today.
Now here I am 5 years after leaving corporate America and I still struggle with that answer.
This weekend I met some new people.
It doesn’t help that where I live everyone has a job that is interesting to me or they can’t tell me or they’d have to kill me. Those last ones make me really want to know what the hell they do!
But I no longer have a title.
I no longer can quantify what the hell it is I do, yet I have very little spare time.
• I walk my dog Izzy 3 miles a day but I’m not a dog walker.
• I am in charge of all advertising media. I have webinars and I work on the next year's budget and work on my plan to increase business. But I am not in advertising.
• I research all software to enhance our business model. I interview software companies on their products, negotiate prices and models, and implement them. But I am not an account manager.
• I work with contractors, designers, and remodeling companies to share with them our new products for their customers. I call, I meet, I present. But I am not a sales executive.
• I hold a customer's hand through the 1st phone call through the process. I build relationships with them as well as provide them with great service. I am there to answer all questions on price, give creative design ideas, educate on product and process and I deal with and fix anything that may arise to make their experience great. But I am not in customer service.
• I run all aspects of a small business except the actual job in the field but I am not the business owner per se.
• I bitch, I moan & I tell stories of my life on a blog in my blogger world but I’m not a writer.
• I clean, organize, do laundry, and maintain a home but I am not a housekeeper.
• I manage all the money for a home and a business but I am not an accountant.
• I paint, remodel, design, and decorate for 2 homes but I am not a designer.
• I entertain all the time for people I like and some who I don’t but I am not Martha Stewart.
• I mother a lot of people but I am not a mom.
So what am I?
When I lost my job Rick begged me to come work for him because he found as he was growing his business he didn’t have time to do the job and run the company.
He wanted someone he could trust so here I am.
This was his idea, his venture.
So even though we are partners in life and in this venture I never feel like it’s my business you know?
He thinks I’m crazy because to him I’m his business partner.
To me, it’s more like this is my husband's business first and then I came here to do what I do. Maybe because this wasn’t my dream.
Whether right or wrong, that is what it is.
When at a party how many times when introduced to new people do they ask you, "What do you do?"
I no longer have an easy answer for that and for the life of me, I don’t get why it bothers me so much.
Even when I did have a so-called title no one ever understood what the hell I did so I would then have to explain. At times that was frustrating to me as well...and I'm sure boring to them. No one really gives a rat's ass but it's a nice thing to ask and chat about quickly. Sometimes I would just make shit up. Easier for party banter because I would never see them again. Or else I would dumb my job down and just say I was in sales.
No one ever asks you deep questions but at least I had something to say compared to my answer today.
Now here I am 5 years after leaving corporate America and I still struggle with that answer.
This weekend I met some new people.
It doesn’t help that where I live everyone has a job that is interesting to me or they can’t tell me or they’d have to kill me. Those last ones make me really want to know what the hell they do!
But I no longer have a title.
I no longer can quantify what the hell it is I do, yet I have very little spare time.
• I walk my dog Izzy 3 miles a day but I’m not a dog walker.
• I am in charge of all advertising media. I have webinars and I work on the next year's budget and work on my plan to increase business. But I am not in advertising.
• I research all software to enhance our business model. I interview software companies on their products, negotiate prices and models, and implement them. But I am not an account manager.
• I work with contractors, designers, and remodeling companies to share with them our new products for their customers. I call, I meet, I present. But I am not a sales executive.
• I hold a customer's hand through the 1st phone call through the process. I build relationships with them as well as provide them with great service. I am there to answer all questions on price, give creative design ideas, educate on product and process and I deal with and fix anything that may arise to make their experience great. But I am not in customer service.
• I run all aspects of a small business except the actual job in the field but I am not the business owner per se.
• I bitch, I moan & I tell stories of my life on a blog in my blogger world but I’m not a writer.
• I clean, organize, do laundry, and maintain a home but I am not a housekeeper.
• I manage all the money for a home and a business but I am not an accountant.
• I paint, remodel, design, and decorate for 2 homes but I am not a designer.
• I entertain all the time for people I like and some who I don’t but I am not Martha Stewart.
• I mother a lot of people but I am not a mom.
So what am I?
When I lost my job Rick begged me to come work for him because he found as he was growing his business he didn’t have time to do the job and run the company.
He wanted someone he could trust so here I am.
This was his idea, his venture.
So even though we are partners in life and in this venture I never feel like it’s my business you know?
He thinks I’m crazy because to him I’m his business partner.
To me, it’s more like this is my husband's business first and then I came here to do what I do. Maybe because this wasn’t my dream.
Oh please don’t misunderstand I don’t hate it but it wasn’t my idea to start this business. This is not something I thought I would love to do with my life.
I don't mind it, I know I'm good at it but fulfilled? Not so much.
This is not mine. Does that make sense?
So there it is.
I must be having a mid-life crisis & I’m past middle age….unless I’m living until I’m 100+ that is.
It’s interesting that when I say I work with my husband people just say, “Oh” and normally turn away. It’s a conversation stopper for sure.
I have said I work for my husband but Rick hates that.
Besides that would imply he pays me. Au contraire.
I am sexually harassed but I don’t get a formal paycheck.
And who better to sexually harass me than a former VP of Human Resources right?
HR man knows sexual harassment!!
So what do I do?
Who am I?
Why does it even matter?
I realize I really, really don’t want to go back to corporate America.
I’m too old for the games and politics now.
So why do I give a shit what people think I do?
Why do I feel I need to have a name for it?
To tie it in a nice bow? Maybe.
This morning while walking the dog I met this woman who was a stay-at-home mom.
She said she had seen me walking the dog during the day did I have children?
Honestly, I thought it was cute that she thought I was a stay-at-home mom.
More like a stay-at-home grandma.
When I said I worked virtual (like 45% of DC does) she asked what I did and there it was again.
I was stumped.
What do you do?
11 comments:
Good post. Yeah, I don't care to explain to people what I do. When I used to write from home, some folks didn't really understand what that meant. And that's okay. Not everyone can understand everything. It doesn't matter. Life is short. One time I was out of work for awhile, I ran into an old co-worker and she asked what I was doing, "I said with a big smile, not a darn thing, it's wonderful."
Good post. My typical short answer to that question is " Work". I might state where & give my title. Then quickly question them as I found most people live talking about themselves & are looking for an opportunity to do just that.
Love not live.
I exist - sometimes more successfully than others. (Perhaps I should say sometimes more pleasantly than others.)
Interesting thoughts. Usually when asked what we "do", we respond with our job title, which typically isn't what we actually do. But then, I doubt the askers want the full answer anyway.
I've had several job titles, but I'd say my most fulfilling work was stay-at-home-mom.
I prefer to say I'm retired rather than explain that no, I'm not a dental hygienist, nor am I a dental assistant....I'm that annoying person who checks you in, calls all the patients that haven't confirmed thier appts for the next two days, checks your insurance, tells you how much your treatment cost is for today, and then listens to you complain because: !. that's too much money 2. I want a 2pm appt which isn't available on the day you wanted 3. doesn't my insurance cover everything? 4. no one told me my regular hygienist is out on vacation (although we did) ...and on and on. Reception does more than say hi. So, I'm retired! with a happy grin on my face does it.
Societal etiquette is weird, isn't it? Maybe next time I'll say I'm a professional dog walker.
Yvonne, once Rick told a woman who was very snotty. He said he retired from Porn. She clutched her pearls and walked away. I was livid with him. He just thought that was hysterical. I do now.
You could just say your former profession and add "retired" in front of it. That's what i do when people ask. Or you could just make something up. Tell them you're a hitman, or a stripper, or something fun!
Debra, I'm a stripper would make people laugh!
2 things. I teach people to fly.
And I help other people with their math problems. If I can.
Ole phat Stu, those are 2 things that are difficult!!!
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