So Far, So Good

That's what the guy is purported to have said as he passed the 15th-story window after jumping off the 30-story building -- but I digress.

Today is the one-month anniversary of the first day of my new life. For one month now I have been what I like to think of as "gainfully unemployed."

I quit my job because, quite simply, I couldn't stand it anymore. I couldn't stand waking up with my head full of ideas, and instead of pursuing those ideas, or at least writing them down, I had to rush off to arrive at work at the ungodly hour of six a.m. Except on the weekends. When I was so focused on trying to cram my entire life into two days per week of freedom, I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do first, and so ended up doing nothing. Except chores. Always the chores. Because being responsible was EVERYTHING.

Some thought that quitting my job without having another one to go to was completely irresponsible. To which I replied, "Having another job to go to would defeat the whole purpose of quitting this job." I needed a break. A Sabbatical. A chance to stop the madness and spend time examining what I really want to do with the rest of my life -- before it's too late.

So I decided to take some of the money I've so diligently -- and responsibly -- saved up and invest in myself.

It was my friend Niki who pointed out that my last day at my hated job happened to be the first day of Spring, in the year of my 50th birthday. She found that significant. I hadn't thought of it quite that way. I chose that date because it was exactly three months before said 50th birthday. And that seemed like a nice round amount of time to spend finding myself, as they say. But the whole "first day of Spring" thing is pretty cool, too.

All I know is, I want the second half of my life to be better than the first. To that end, I have shifted my priorities.

So far, the results have been positive. I am sleeping soundly through the night, for the first time in years. I no longer feel homicidal urges when I go to the supermarket and somebody who apparently has all the time in the world is blocking my access to the frozen peas. And my cats have never been happier, now that I'm available to serve them throughout the day.

Will I be able to maintain this new lifestyle permanently? I don't know. But I'm sure as heck going to try!