Saturday, August 4, 2007

So

I have a little wine and talk big talk to the entire Internet about how I'm going to clean my house this weekend, non-stop, yes I will! And also reveal that I am still carrying psychological scars from being the chubby, smart, dorky girl with braces and glasses until my senior year of high school. I'm working on getting over that, honest, any day now I should be better - but it didn't help that yesterday I read an article about "older workers" and job hunting, and one of the men quoted pointed out that men are getting Botox and hair plugs and dieting so they can compete with "younger workers," and I realizd that damn, I'm about to tip into the "Older Worker" demographic myself, if I'm not already there. And yeah, the bifocals won't help much. But I digress....

So, this morning I woke up and my brain started scrambling frantically to find other things to do besides clean the house as I said I would. I should go to the gym first! No, Publix! No, Petsmart! No, I have some coupons to use at Costco, so first Petsmart and then Costco! And it's really hot out there, so by the time I run these errands and come back I'll be worn out, and then I'll sit on the hairy couch and watch a movie. Because that's how Housework Avoidance Syndrome works around here.

I'm really good at coming up with rationalizations for why I'm not doing what I should do, even after blustering big talk about the importance of it all, and I realized that I sound like a College Republican making excuses as to why his smug, flag-waving ass isn't in the Army. And when I hear their self-serving bullshit it makes me sick. Not that I'm saying cleaning my house is like serving in Iraq, obviously there is no connection, but all weak, snivelly, self-serving rationalizations come from the same weak, snivelly place. Why am I not working on making my living environment what I want it to be? I dunno, I really admire people who do it, I think it's really important, but I don't feel it's necessary to do it myself, I have other things to do....

So, Dear Internet, I am going to get to work now, and as Gawd is mah witnuss, you will not hear from me again until the cat hair is conquered, the bathrooms and kitchen shine, and there are at least 10 bags of Stuff waiting by the door, on their way out of my life. Yessir. Have a happy weekend!

7 comments:

Gigi said...

I realllly believe that the tide is shifting in hiring older workers. I think employers are figuring out that older workers give their jobs priority, they show up on time, not hung over, they don't just up and quit, because they understand the value of a good job, and know it isn't that easy to just waltz into a new one. They are smarter and have real life, work smarts and experience, rather that just college classes. LIke you were talking about baby lawyers a couple of days ago. They have no real life experience.

I hope that it is not just my imagination, and things really are changing. You have such a wealth of knowledge, I can't imagine you would have trouble if you choose to continue in your current field. I think you should be an event planner, though. It would be way more fun!

Sue said...

Those college repubs were hilarious! I want that bumper sticker.

Go 'head, Scarlett. When you get done come on over to my place. I need serious help!

Catherine said...

Ginnie - I'm not concerned with competing with the babies, it's the younger than me but experienced 35-40 cohort that owns the playing field now. I don't worry about competing with some kid fresh out of college, but with the 35-40 year old. I am not saying it's that hard to find a job as an "older" worker, it can be done, but you do have to be conscious that there is an attitude that you may be "past it." (In my case it may be true for what I'm doing, this inability to focus is worrisome, but that's the SAH and not my age.)

I suspect this is easier for women to adjust to psychologically than for men, what with that whole senior male fighting for dominance thing in our DNA. That said, I do know/see that a skinny, hip 50 year old woman has a far easier time than a plump gray-haired woman in sensible shoes and bifocals. Sexist? Ageist? Of course, but I do know men go through it too, and are as worried about it as women are, except for the gray hair thing - men can have gray hair. Women have to think twice about passing up the colorist.

We had someone in our office make a comment about a job prospect - gray haired man - just the other day. He had no influence in the hiring process and it was just a dumbass shooting off his mouth, but the attitude that older workers are over the hill is widespread and is very real.

Catherine said...

The total for the day - 3 large bags of trash, 3 bags and two smallish boxes for Goodwill, and my closet is so much more organized. Didn't make it to the gym, so tomorrow I will make the Goodwill run and then go to the gym, and do the shopping I resisted doing today, and then start in again. I am determined to hit a ten bag total for the weekend.

Catherine said...

Sue, I totally want that bumper sticker too. I was also chagrined that a couple of the featured Chickenhawks were from my alma mater, UCF.

Sue said...

I went to Howard. I saw none of my people there, big surprise!

Sue said...

OT, look who else went to UCF!
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2007/07/homoquotable-bob-allen.html