As our government battles itself over money that is imaginary and already spent, there are many people in many jobs hoping to survive. I and my Air Traffic Control counterparts being some of those people.
Yesterday, I received my official furlough notice. This was to tell me that between April and September of this year I will be off and therefore not paid for a total of eleven days. I will say now that I am grateful that I will continue to have employment and will continue to collect some of my paycheck. Yet I do not know too many people who enter into such a time without some worry. What shouldn't I do right now? What should I cancel? We also have to contend with, any days off we take during this period will be unpaid even if they are our guranteed by contract vacation time. This is hard. To know I will have to cancel that time. To say no to some escape.
But I am trying to spin this in my head, I am looking at it as some extra time in my home with my family. My healthy family... my family that bring me laughter... my family that bring joy bubbling up inside me... my home that needs my love... my home that needs my time... I am looking at this time as a potential gift for more of the things I put aside and put off. I am guessing that though the money will be missed now and in my retirement, that the time gained will be what I need that I just hadn't seen how much.
I am sending juju to the warring factions of our government that they make peace with one another and keep all of us working and productive and that they have this sorted so that this does not grow into something bigger. The impacts could be huge for us all. So please all learn to play nice and stop being so headstrong neither of you are 100% right and in between there is a common truth.
