Thursday, March 21, 2013

I've Been Downsized: Chapter 7

Living the Dream

Have you ever imagined what life would be like if you had the opportunity to spend seven weeks at home? Here’s how my fantasy went; the house would be spotless and fabulously decorated, our laundry room would finally be organized, my children would have a hot breakfast and my husband would have a home cooked dinner, my closet would be organized, and I would finally be able to clean out that pantry! Ahh, if only I had more time, I imagined, life would be perfect.
Back to Reality
So, my fantasy isn’t playing out quite the way I had imagined. All of those years I spent daydreaming at my desk about all of the things I could do if I were home. Here’s the dirty truth; there are dishes in the sink, a Christmas flag still hanging in the yard, my kids ate cold cereal for breakfast this morning, my husband ate a sandwich for dinner last night, and finding soup in the pantry is a bit of a treasure hunt. Surprised? Not nearly as surprised as I am!
In reality, the average day goes something like this; up at 6:00 a.m. with our son; drive son to bus stop at 7:00 a.m.; check email, suck down coffee, and enjoy a cold bowl of cereal; wake daughter up at 7:30 a.m.; respective daughter dressed, fed, and on the school bus at 8:30 a.m.; now, focus! This is when things are really going to happen! Look around and take note of what should be cleaned today. Today’s the day! This house is going to look FABULOUS! I’m talking pot roast on the table and candles lit when my family gets home. Clear a spot on the mantel for mother-of-the-year trophy that will be delivered today. Sit down to check email, search job boards, follow up on networking requests, revise the resume, write cover letters. What’s that noise? The school bus?! What time is it?!...

What’s for Dinner?
Sloppy joes and baked beans. It turns out the only thing that’s changed since I was downsized is our kitchen table- and not in the pot roast and candles sort of way. Instead, it’s littered with job descriptions, resumes, sticky notes, and a laptop. But my family doesn’t seem to mind. They’re happy to plop their sloppy joe down on my resume to talk about the day. No worries, I’ll print a new one tomorrow. I guess the pantry will just have to wait.

Kristina Marsh is an experienced and accomplished marketing, communications, and business process leader.  Want to connect?  You can reach me at klmarsh74@gmail.com.

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