Blah Days

I'm having Blah Days. A lot of them.  It might have something to do with coming to the end of the year, feeling generally flabby and pale, uninspired with no direction.

Or it could be that I really regret leaving my old job before it actually ended and jumped into what I thought would be a good professional move. It wasn't.

It could be that that career move has me not wanting to get up in the morning (even more than usual).

So I have plans in place to change. I just have to have patience for things to happen. I can do that.  I have lots of patience. As long as I know something better is coming along, I can survive. And get myself out of bed in the mornings.

Then again, it could be I've been eating too much cheese.

Blah.

But there's always something on YouTube that will cheer me up (and remind me of BBBBB):

Shaun Kirk

*Joining with Essentially Jess for IBOT*

Unschooling - Why I think its a ridiculous idea (IBOT)

(One of the unschooled on The Project)

Last night one of my favourite programs screened a story on Unschooling (not to be confused with home schooling which is entirely different).  If you missed it you can read about it here.

Now I know people all have their own opinions, but when it comes to things like vaccinations and education, I stick to the facts.  When you’re playing around with children’s health and access to opportunities, its best to educate yourself with research.

There’s been a lot of of hooha (you don’t hear that word very much these days) about the movement to scare parents into adopting the practice (or non practice as it seems) of not vaccinating their children.  Not only is this dangerous to their and other children, it is not backed up by any scientific research (but I’m not going into that huge debate here, there’s been enough already).  So when this story on unschooling appeared on The Project last night, a little bit of the hippy in me died.  Diehard principles can go jump when they don’t make any sense.

Why would anyone keep their little blank canvas they created in the dark and not open them up to all that the world can offer.  One of the mothers interviewd said she wouldn’t care if her daughter didn’t find history interesting as she didn’t like it either.  Yeah, that’s intelligent.  Make sure your child doesn’t get interested in things you aren’t into because of course they are not their own little individuals, they’re an exact replica of their parent!   Aaarrrgh!  What stupidity and narrow mindedness.  

Another parent of a six year old girl said that her older son had problems at school and all he wanted to do was computer programming.  So she pulled him out to do what he wanted at home.  He’s now studying computers at university and apparently getting top marks.  All well and good if he has learnt that when things get difficult you don’t solve it by just running away to do whatever you want.  For all I know they were unsolvable problems but it is still no excuse to assume that her daughter will benefit from the same unschooling her son enjoyed.

As Carrie said after the story, some things you found dead boring to learn at school can come back to you later in life and you realise you were really glad you were there to discover it. Even my children started to tsk and hmmph at the idea. They love going to school (Year 5 and Year 9) and know that the world will still value the merit of conventional schooling in regards to finding their place.

When I was in high school (uhoh, here we go, I hear), personal computers had just started to go into the workplace (no sign of them in school of course) and I was dead against them.  I believed they were going to put everyone out of work and ruin my imagined career as a journalist.  I left at age 15 after deciding two weeks before the end of 4th Form (or Year 10 as it’s called now) that nothing interested me at school in the next two years.  I started working in an office the following March in 1982 and discovered I had a knack to operate the enemy.  I developed a bit of an obsession with the PC. First a Wang, then a Decmate where I first learnt that it felt I was creating art when I developed my first database at the CSR Library.

But I didn’t go back and get my HSC and go on to University to explore what else was open to me and I deeply regret that.  I closed my mind and have virtually never risen above a secretary in most jobs I’ve been employed in for the last 32 years.  I can’t blame my parents because they were poor and didn’t push me to go further and I can’t blame my first partner for keeping me from finding independence.  It’s my fault. Fear is still stopping me.

(from here)

But I’m trying to show my children all that the world is offering and telling them everyday they can do anything they set their mind to and I will back them all the way. Part of that is offered at home and a huge part is offered by schooling.  By the number and by the diversity of teachers and students they will come into contact with over the many years. By being away from the protective wing of their parents and learning how to interact with other personalities.  By discovering that there is more mysteries in the world yet to discover beyond what they find on the internet.

To think for themselves.

Hopefully the mothers in the story come to realise that their little sponges need more than what’s offered by their parent.  No one person is an island.

Rant over.  Your turn!

**Joining Essentially Jess for IBOT!**

Thirty years and counting

Me at around 16, a bit out of focus (me AND the photo quality)

That's thirty years working, not how old I am (God, I wish!).  It's hard to believe that I've been working as long as and sometimes longer than the age of most of the people I've worked with.  If that makes sense.
And where have I got? Well not far, so a more interesting answer is "What have I done?"  So in (roughly) chronological order:

• Shop assistant at the local newsagency (was still in Year 10 - or fourth form as it was known way back then).
• Library assistant at CSR (then a couple of moves till Library Manager's Secretary).
• A brief spell at a desktop publisher when I thought I could be a graphic designer. Not only did I not get on their sponsored course but the boss made me cry everyday till I left two weeks later.
• Research Lab assistant at Jands where I helped design computer generated prototypes for sound and lighting boards. Loved the spot welding on the tiny electrical boards and the free tickets to Elton John but didn't like the sexual harassment - I was only 18 after all!
• Then about four years of office temping in the city - cannot remember exactly where but amongst them were finance companies, advertising companies, legal firms, accountants and finally Lend Lease.
• Lend Lease offered me a permanent gig and I stayed for 10 years - moved through the different divisions including building, retail, leasing (so many contracts typed!), design, environmental law and retail management. Great times, great social life and great friends got me through my first marriage.
• This took me to motherhood and a year off (ha!).
• Then the prospect of going back into the corporate world in the city wasn't particularly attractive (those buses aren't exactly reliable when child care closes right on 6pm). I thought I found the best part time job just a walk away in a small web design and systems company (there was no cash payout to new parents 13 years ago so any income was welcome).  It turned out to be a nightmare.  The boss's ego was too big for the office he could not afford to rent and his people skills involved humiliating as many employees as possible in one day. After two miserable years (and some stories that will be told another time), I made a last ditch attempt to ask for a raise (I was paid as a receptionist but was doing technical support, website design and maintenance along with sales, accounts and office cleaning!), he used his silent partner to retrench me. 
• I then signed up at an agency who got me a job ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THAT JOB! It was wonderful. They were caring, flexible and didn't bat an eyelid when I discovered I was pregnant a month later!
• Been employed by them for the last 10 years (in various departments) with a break for another bub.  And I hope to be there for another 10 (unless the Moneymaker makes alot of money one day and I can retire and attend every bloggy event known to (wo)man.

In all that time I've undertaken several courses and completed a Certificate IV in Frontline Business (whatever that means!).  I'm contemplating doing something a little more serious, like a degree (aargh!) but my undisciplined arse can't be arse'd at the moment.

And what did I want to do when I grew up?  A journalist.  I better get onto that.......

What did you want to do when you grew up and (assuming you're grown up now), what is your profession now?

I'm linking up with Diary of SAHM for IBOT.