Do I Need A Second Job?

Yesterday I was in a cleaning mood. Everyone's always happy when that happens. Of course, I expect a great deal of praise for the beauty that I created. I'm not what you would call a clean freak like my daughter, the nurse, but I do like a clean, picked up environment. The clutter in my head lessens when the house is in order. Today I feel like writing.

I talked about needing a job to help with the downward spiral of our finances. Well, I made an attempt at a temp agency last week. They didn't have any openings. I could probably land one. Prior to being a full time artist, full time faux finisher, full time artist again, I did work in secretarial/management positions. I know this sounds like a huge excuse, but hear me out.

Not to bore you, but I have to give you a bit of a profile so you will fully understand my circumstances. Without it, this wouldn't make sense. We are living literally on the edge. My husband is in the commissions game. He places people in apartments. The apartment communities pay his office a fee and he gets 50%. We're talking maybe $150.00 per client. It takes a whole lot of clients to pay our bills. Prior to my vertigo problem I was bringing in around $25,000 a year from faux finishing plus whatever I made through art sales. We are now unable to pay our income taxes just to mention one issue. So, my getting a job would definitely help our situation. Now to the real problem I have. Just how much does anyone really need.

This is relative, of course, to one's state of mind, position in the community, etc. But, morally, with everyone losing their homes, children starving and living in cars, I have to ask the question. We could lose our home, too. That's a real possibility. But we don't have small children to feed now. Just our two dogs, one cat and a duck that can't fly that lives with us in our pool. So for me to take a job would seem wrong.

If I were to land a job, how many other men and women who have small children to feed would not get that one job available. If you think I'm stretching this theory look at the unemployment numbers and at least double them because they are truly not reflective of how many people have lost their jobs. I really think we all need to do our part in helping. I wouldn't feel right about taking a job that someone more needing of that job would lose.

I know, you ask, "How would you know you had taken it from someone more needing?" I don't. But lets be serious here. I'm not a specialist in biochemistry. Whatever job I would be qualified for could be filled by a lot of people.

What I'm trying to say here is this, what do YOU really need and how much can you live without in order to survive? I have been accused of being too ethical. I'd rather be more ethical than egotistical. There is a lot I can give up and have. I love my home, but it's not the most important aspect of my life. Not anymore. I've taken inventory and found that I could go way down the economic scale and still be very happy. I can only work on a few paintings at one time so my expenses aren't extreme. If all of us would dig deep and realize that there is real need out there, there probably wouldn't be as much need. We are all a family. If giving up an extra income that would make me more comfortable is all I can do to help others, I'm willing to do it. Thank God my husband shares my views, because he has to work very hard to keep us afloat. But he does have a job which is more than a lot of people can say right now.

As I'm sitting here writing this a dove just walked into my room from my patio. How absolutely wonderful is that? I'm talking to him right now and he's just standing here with my cat and two dogs right next to me on the floor. We are all just talking to each other. Life is good.