Out-Of-Work P.R. Exec Has Great Things To Say About Unemployment
August 1, 2001
IRVINE, CA–Calling his current jobless status "an exciting, much-needed opportunity to reassess my direction in life," former Porter Novelli public-relations executive Josh Wallace has great things to say about unemployment.
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Unemployment, Wallace said, has enabled him to do many things he'd never found time for while working 40 hours a week.
"For one thing, I've had the opportunity to see some top-flight daytime programming I never knew existed," Wallace said. "I also went out jogging several times, and I plan to go more, now that I've discovered how great it makes me feel."
"I've really rediscovered the simpler things in life," Wallace continued. "Who knew the pleasures to be found in just taking a walk around the city? Or walking around the mall for a few hours? Or driving down to the gas station for a sandwich? That's what I did earlier today, and it was great, absolutely great. There's lots of tremendous stuff to see at the gas station, if you just take the time to notice."
Recently, Wallace took advantage of his "freed-up schedule" by visiting his parents in Bakersfield.
"Josh just showed up in the middle of the day and surprised us," Wallace's mother Elaine said. "He kept saying something about wanting to 'touch base and make sure the whole family's all on the same page,' which I didn't really understand, but other than that it was a nice visit."
Added Elaine: "A full week was maybe a little long for him to stay, just sitting up there in his old room like that. But I wasn't going to say anything. Not when he's having such a terrible time of it."
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Jordan Hayes wrote:
July 31, 2006 Men Not Working, and Not Wanting Just Any Job
By LOUIS UCHITELLE and DAVID LEONHARDT
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"I have come to realize that my free time is worth a lot to me," he said. To make ends meet, he has tapped the equity in his home through a $30,000 second mortgage, and he is drawing down the family's savings, at the rate of $7,500 a year. About $60,000 is left. His wife's income helps them scrape by. "If things really get tight," Mr. Beggerow said, "I might have to take a low-wage job, but I don't want to do that."
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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/31/business/31men.html