*This is a work of nonfiction that was witnessed or experienced by myself and others. Everything you read has been written with permission and based on real life situations.
After three years of being a stay at home wife and running our small family contracting business, I made the decision to re-enter the workforce on a part time basis. This past week was spent searching places local to where I live. Staying within a five mile radius of home is at the top of my “necessity” list. I was lucky enough to find a few places that fit into my search parameters… although, only one application was submitted. I chose to apply for not only the job that had the highest hourly pay, it also had the best benefits package - including three weeks vacation after the first year and a company matched 401K.
Crossed my fingers after submitting it… closed my laptop and didn’t give it a second thought. What a lot of people don’t seem to understand are the complexities of running a small business and the unending expenses that come with it. The income is shuffled out just as fast (sometimes faster) than it comes rolling in. There are good months mixed with bad months. So, I figured it was time to take my bubbly personality out into the working world again.
Opened my email to a message from the business I applied to this morning…
Entering the world of earning a paycheck during younger years is a lot more simple than attempting it at 50. This is where the thoughts kick in about having too much experience… I’ve heard that one a few times in my life. That is something with a high probability rate given the job I applied for is minimal compared to the jobs that I’ve held. So, my fingers are still crossed.
I’m not searching for a job that will advance my career. Simply put, I only want something on the side while our family business grows… a job that will provide some social interaction and a few extra bucks. Three weeks paid vacation after the first year of employment is just another incentive. After all, we haven’t been able to take a vacation (or a honeymoon) since our business started - one of the obstacles of being owners, I suppose.
The reason behind sharing this journey with each of you is because the “mid-life crisis age” is upon me… I refuse to fall victim to it. Instead, I’m determined to focus on the “mid-life come up” and succeed. If you find yourselves in the same predicament, don’t sell yourself short… don’t think you’re too old to get back out there. Just do it. You’ll thank yourself later.
While my husband isn’t very thrilled about this decision, he’s supportive and understands my reasons. It all boils down to healthy communication. Re-entering the workforce is not going to be a permanent situation… only something to help us through this current state of inflation. It might last a year… it might last three years… only time will tell. What I do know is that this provides us the opportunity to put money into savings for our potential relocation out of state. If I decide to continue with the company, transfers are possible throughout the country. That’s a win/win in my book because it provides an added “security” for retaining employment if need be.
If any of my fabulous readers are on the same journey I am… good luck! Get out there and never give up… enjoy mid-life, folks… we made it this far!
If you enjoyed reading about some of my daily life challenges and would like to contribute towards the work of this struggling writer, feel free to buy me a cup of coffee. Everything raised goes directly to our homeless outreach fund. Thank you for reading and I hope each of you have a blessed day.
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