I have been told the problem is over-qualification. Baa-hookey! It is pretty obvious on my resume how old I am. I state I want part-time work. I’m not looking for a career, for heaven’s sake. Oh, I found one company that was willing to possibly find me a job, but they wanted almost $200 up-front to even start looking for me. And, they didn’t normally specialize in part-time employment! And to go to a temporary staffing company is pretty hard in the larger city where I live. If I have to drive 20 miles one way to get to a job, the gas will eat me alive!
Older workers know what it means to have a strong work-ethic. And customer service? Holy mackrel, Andy! I am the one who walks away from businesses who don’t provide good customer service, so I know exactly what is needed in the workplace.
Maybe it's time I get some value for that AARP membership!!!
And so it goes! I will find something! In the meantime, I will keep blogging, you can keep reading and we will all have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Alzheimer’s
But I am going to talk just a moment about the care-givers. I am one. My mother has Alzheimer’s, probably for about the last 12 years. The progression is slow, but it is surely and emphatically taking over her life. And, the life of her loved-ones. My father cares for her 24/7. We do have a family member who comes to their house 3 days a week to help her bathe, do laundry and allow dad to get out of the house for a short period of time.
I’m not going to go on and on right now about every day occurrences. What I have found, however, is that a good sense of humor is absolutely mandatory for the caregiver. Not to make fun of the patient, but to keep sanity within ourselves. We have learned to laugh at ourselves, our short-comings, and with mom when she does silly things and not-so-silly things.
It is also absolutely necessary to have self-forgiveness. Meaning, simply, that it is important that when we lose our “cool”, when we feel we are at the end of our rope, when we say to ourselves that we can’t do this one more day, then it is necessary to forgive our thoughts and actions as we move on to another day.
If you want to learn more about this horrible disease, check out these sites. And I strongly recommend reading “The 36-Hour Day”. At the very least, you will be able to associate with others who have gone through this and realize...you are not alone.
Support groups are the lifeline to all caregivers. There are also support groups in just about every city and town...seek them out for help, support and a little respite for yourself!
I wish everyone a wonderful holiday weekend.
