musings, life lessons & poetry from Theresa Jarosz Alberti

Tag: crisis

The Work of Not-Working

A bit about me and jobs, and no-jobs…

I started working as an office temp a few years ago. After a short and challenging stint as a  Personal Care Assistant, I had been job hunting for several months. Even though there were employers looking for my skills and education, I was having a hard time getting interviews. I’m sure there were many reasons for this, but it didn’t help that I’d been out of the work force for years to raise kids.

So temping it was. I had done it in my 20s and enjoyed the variety. I knew it would give me more experience and a chance to prove myself in more traditional workplaces again. And it worked– I soon had a good reputation and repeat customers. Better yet, I made money while doing it!  I also got to work at some interesting places–  like MPR, WCCO-TV, and even an in-patient drug rehab center.  I have some interesting stories to tell from each of these places! Continue reading

The Non-Perfect Blog

I have been wanting to blog for a long time now… ideas have flitted through my mind, things I’m going through, topics that would be good for me to write about, and yet, nada. I write in my journal all the time, squeak out a few poems, but Pen and Moon has sat here, patiently waiting. And waiting. Twiddling its thumbs, occasionally sighing, but mostly, sitting in a Buddha-meditation pose and waiting for me.

Here’s the deal–  what’s getting in my way is just plain ol’ PERFECTIONISM.  I want to get it right, have it be beautiful, the bestest photos, the most thought-provoking and scintillating words. That’s what I’ve tried to do in the past. I like doing quality work, but the A+ mentality I’ve had all my life can really get in the way of just getting something done that’s good enough.  As Bob likes to say (quoting Voltaire): “The perfect is the enemy of the good.”  And that’s what keeps tripping me up, here and in many other parts of my life. Perfectionism paralyzes me, keeps me from getting anything done–  “good enough” makes me anxious, keeps me walking on a tight rope in fear of falling off.

So I’m here today with the goal of getting back to blogging and letting it be a Non-Perfect Blog. I have a lot going on in my life right now– detours and crises, and I am up to my elbows in a place I hadn’t anticipated being. I’m deep into working on shit right now. It’s hard, it’s good, and I’ve got a lot to process and share. So that’s what I’m gonna do. Imperfectly.  So, stay tuned if you’re interested. I’ll be writing more soon!

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