Saturday, March 27, 2010

I am free like a bird

Someone sent me a tiny email. "What happened, NWM? Why are you (literally) non-working once again?". I cannot really answer the question in detail, not because I am gagged by the law*, but because the details don't matter.

All that's important is that I didn't sleep properly for about 8 months, put on about 25lbs and spent quite a lot of time having conversations like this with my husband, the French-Canadian veterinary research histopathologist - a man famous for his world-class ability to analyse all situations (even if about 'emotions', cakes, puppies etc) with forensically objective precision.

Me: This (insert incident) happened today. I am annoyed. Is it reasonable that I am annoyed?
Husband: Yes it is. You are not mad.
Me: That is a relief.

I am not one of those ghastly drippy people who are always complaining and needing a little lie down if they have to work more than 5 hours in one day. I get on well with about 95% of people I have worked with ever. I can do quite a lot at the same time, and I do not mind making decisions about things that might be quite important, standing up in rooms full of people and talking about things to them, taking responsibility for stuff, having difficult conversations, etc etc. Bref (as they say in some French-speaking nations), I am not a bloody wetsy and am quite resilient in a work-based situation. But this particular work situation got to me, and got to me good and proper.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, when I realised that the whole hoo-ha wasn't likely to change, I thought it might be better to get the cock out. So I resigned without a job to go to and (even better and/or worse, depending on how you see it), can't work until I get my Canadian residency through my husband**, which could take 3 months, or 6 months, or a bit longer.

But it is not so bad. I'm very, very fucking lucky that I have a "wonderfully supportive partner" (this set of words is worse than Sting and Trudie talking about their house in Tuscany, i.e. they are really really bad, but I can't think of a better expression) who can support me financially ("I will pay for your bus fare, but not your shoes"), and who had no question in his mind that I should get the cock out (not literally - I am a ladymonkey, so do not have a cock i.e. knob).

In fact, it's more than "not so bad". The first time I was non-working (nearly five years ago!!) I had a big wodge of cash to pay for sweets, crisps, the mortgage etc. This time, I do not have a wodge of cash, but someone else is there to cover the bills if and when my own money runs out (let alone all the hot love and/or support I'm getting from friends, family etc), so I have the freedom that most people don't have: the freedom of being able to walk away from a well-paid, not difficult (physically or practically) job that was making me unhappy.

Someone called me "brave". There is nothing brave about this because there's no real risk involved, and no-one's dependent on me (so at least it's not selfish, I suppose). I took the decision to stop doing something that wasn't doing me much good. Instead, I have dusted off my fez, taken the absinthe out of the back of the cupboard, and tapped out my small clay pipe. It is Spring, my friends, and in Spring all kinds of things happen, including one-eyed 94 year-old Montreal taxi drivers shouting: "New York hasn't got Jack Shit Dick Malone on London, lady".

Pip pip!

NWM

Coming soon: I am less serious, and speculate on possible activities and/or hobbies to take part in over this spring/summer season in Montreal. I urge you to make suggestions, and may well open up a sort of "Challenge NWM" type affair.


* Well I might be, but I haven't checked my contract for, oh, 2 years. And anyway, I'm not that important and it wasn't that exciting.

** long and boring story: but my work permit was linked to my job, so without my job, I have no work permit and therefore cannot work. Yes.

15 comments:

Tracy Lynn said...

I am thrilled beyond reason that you are non working again, as this was your state when I found your weblog, and having followed your adventures all this time, it just seems right that you be non working in actuality as well as metaphorically. Well done, you.

Anonymous said...

I do think you're brave, because any kind of change can be daunting. And in your situation, to leave a job with the certainty that there won't be a new job on the horizon for many months ("wonderfully supportive partner" notwithstanding), had to be a tough decision. However, you gotta do what you gotta do, and sometimes mental/emotional health takes precedence over dollars and some measure of independence. Enjoy your non-working, but don't overdo the absinthe (I hear too much is bad for you)!

Mrs Jones said...

Hoorah - many congratulations. I did exactly the same thing 10 years ago and haven't 'worked' properly since. I too have a wonderfully supportive partner who not only pays all the bills but also gives me a small amount of money each month to play with!! I'm MUCH happier now that I can potter around and do my own thing. I think it says it all that when I left my last job, they had to hire 2 people to cover all the work I'd been doing.

NON-WORKINGMONKEY said...

Mrs Jones, my version of "wonderfully supportive" (makes me gag to even write it) means paying the bills if I need it for a bit, not long-term styleee, which isn't up my strasse anyway. Also, if I never work again, where would I get pens, paperclips etc from? See? See?

Tracy Lynn - I live to serve.

Pinklea - too kind. Will be careful. Promise.

Z said...

I could not work in an office and I could not be told what to do. Nor can I be arsed to wipe the bums, as it were, of incompetent employees. Therefore, I am incapable of working for money or having a business where I employ people. I rent out flats instead so I can do what I choose. I recommend.

WrathofDawn said...

Does this mean you are now required to change your name legally to Non-Working Permit Monkey?

NON-WORKINGMONKEY said...

Not required, no, dear Wrath of Dawn - but now able to. I am thinking about it.

Dan said...

Hello Monkey - This is your ex-monkey (or one of) from London, now in Thailand. Bored at home so had a look to see what Canadian monkeys are up to. Good to hear that you're officially non-working. Me too, though mine is - I hope - a more permanent state of affairs. Hurrah for wonderfully supportive partners (I had thought only MPs who got caught licking toilet seats in Kings Cross had those but I now see I'm wrong).

Megan said...

Dear me. I have a MUCH more interesting reason to want to be non-working, which includes co-workers accusing each other of performing witchcraft (true) and then consulting with other co workers about how one would go about doing witchcraft (also true) and then actually TRYING to do witchcraft (also also true) and then being carried off in a flash and a stench of sulfur by Beelzebub, the Beast, the Great Deceiver, Lucifer, the Father of Lies, Satan. (not true, sadly as it would have been a) entertaining and b) quite useful in the HR department)

Mr Farty said...

Hurrah! This is where I came in. I look forward with great anticipation to hearing of your further exploits in the Canada.

Toot toot!

Furtheron said...

hello - I'm on my way to being non working... I've been told I'm no longer wanted and that is fine by me as I'd told my boss I'd rather not be around any more.

Sadly my hugely supportive partner is okay with me moving on from the ridiculous high paid job I have because I really don't like it any more however... one of us - probably me - needs to find some form of gainful employment at some point to pay the bills... :-(

Anonymous said...

YOU ROCK NWM!!!

(but then I've secretly always known that about you)

NON-WORKINGMONKEY said...

Dan! Dan! Dan! Hello lovely Dan. Please send email (address at bottom), have stories to tell. I think the pathologist would not only stand by me if I decided to lick toilets in King's Cross station, but he would positively encourage me to do it so he could study the effects of the various organisms on the giant organism that is me. He would like it a lot.

Megan - that is fucking magnificent. Do you work at the Nathaniel Hawthorne Experience?

Ah yes, Mr Farty -you re-arrive at the correct time. Congratulations and hello again. Welcome. etc.

Furtheron - hello and welcome. I too will have to work (and actually would quite like to - it is not that I hate all working, I just hate working when it is shit). I salute you. I will send you a badge. Please send details.

Anon - come here so I can lick you.

Dan said...

Jesus. I feel older and more technologically incompetent than my long-dead grandmother. Email where at the bottom? My email? Your email? Help!! Can you see mine now? If not, it's my first name (in full) & j & my full surname (all run together with no underscores or anything) @gmail.com. Still, as you can see, a spanner.

Dan

Z said...

NWM's email is on her profile, not on her bottom, Dan.

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