Dear pallasathena:

You wrote that there is nothing in life that brings you joy.

But you wrote that in teaching, I loved:
Creativity
Working with adolescents who enjoyed learning
Planning lessons
Getting kids excited about learning
Pushing technology in learning
Running professional development workshops for teachers.
stay on top of what’s going on in the profession (workshops).

I am wondering if you could do something in education that will combine the above- somehow teach interested/ motivated people, maybe teach teachers in workshops, teach them how to use technology in teaching, get them excited about learning technology…?

anita

Dear pallasathena:

When did it start, you starting projects, hobbies and endeavors and not finishing them… in childhood, I presume? Do share…?

anita

Dear pallasatena:

Your parents tried to live their childhoods vicariously through your childhood, meaning, you didn’t have your OWN childhood…meaning the hobbies, the projects, endeavors were theirs, not yours, therefore you weren’t motivated to finish them?

anita

Dear Mr. Ritz:

Welcome back to your own thread! There is a way to get a notification in your email account if a member tags your name, at least sometimes it works this way. If your name is not tagged, there is no notification.

In your last post, July 17 this year, you wrote: “I have some friends who are few years older than me. Both are very highly paid professionals with over a million in retirement accounts and generous pensions to boot (both of them). They don’t live extravagantly but they feel like THEY cannot afford to retire! I would have retired years ago if I had that kind of money. I guess it’s a matter of perspective.”

Above, you mentioned the movie The Volcano. I watched it or parts of it. I guess your friends, with over a million in retirement accounts and generous pensions to boot, they too wake up every day to The Volcano experience. You think that you wouldn’t, if you had their money. Yet there are people who would look at your financial situation, saying: if I had Mr. Ritz’s finances, I would retire!

It is a matter of perspective- worth looking into it.

anita

Hey Kirk, I am totally interested in that lifestyle you live. I have noticed that no matter what job I have, I never seem to get along with all my co workers. Some way or another, someone always tries to find a way to get me fired. I am not like everybody else. I believe in being nice to everyone, I am quite talkative at times, I love heavy metal music and exploring, as well as Buddhism, but the rejection I get from everyone makes me dislike the human race. People can be so rude and cruel. I have begun to enjoy the quiet solitude away from everyone. Everytime I would get outdoors and up in the mountains, I feel as if I am home. Recently I just had a bad breakup, I lost my job, my home and had nowhere else to go. I had to move back in with my parents in a town I moved away from in the first place. I hate this town as I am surrounded by my old drunk friends from college. There are no opportunities here to thrive at all! I have tried looking for work, but I cannot get hired even in a Mcdonalds because they want more college experience which is silly for flipping burgers. I donate plasma every week to pay for storage and I recently became a full time student. I absolutely hate my classes. I chose HVAC because I thought it would be interesting but it certainly isn’t interesting enough to keep my mind from daydreaming about being in the mountains and the wilderness, that’s where my heart is, but I don’t know where to start. I think about leaving everything behind all the time, but I have no money, no car. What would you suggest? I will stick it out longer and try to graduate but I just don’t feel the need to continue in this meaningless life…I just want peace and quiet, to be able to live with purpose instead of working to pay for something you have to work for. Working on a farm in the middle of no where sounds ideal to me!

Hi Mr. Ritz,

I just read your post, and it looks like you had alot of great replies. I wanted to answer, because your story sounds alot like mine. I am 55 now, and am currently disabled. Had to stop working several years ago. I don’t go into all the details. But I too went from job to job. I think my longest job was 3 years. I did it all I think. Retail..hated it..had to stand around a store all day in high heals sometimes I would have to open and close the store, going in at 9am leaving at 9pm. I was only in my early 20’s. Already started having having back problems from the constant standing in heels. Then I had to work alot with teenagers. Although, my sales quota was very good, I wasn’t happy.

I also did alot of work in call centers. Customer service and tech support. I liked it, because I sort of felt I was so much on phones, taking 100+ calls a day, did not have to deal with annoying co-workers. Although there were at times, I did enjoy some comraderie and laughter. It was the irate customers I did not like. Also having to be monitored. I took alot of these jobs, but never really happy and never lasted. I also did alot of temp work..just could not find anything I liked. Finally went back to school and finished my AA degree and BA degree. But no luck in that either, as everyone in the field wanted 5 years experience and Masters degree, but by this time, I had so much school loan debt.

So, I went back to call center jobs..annoying co-workers, irate callers, being monitored. I started having anxiety and panic attacks, depression and hospitalizations.

I am wondering if you would be happier working from home? Maybe a telecommuting job, I’m not quite sure how to call it. You wouldn’t have to deal with annoying co-workers and bosses so much..just some thoughts.