It's been over a month since my last post, a period that's been, honestly, a bit depressing. Since being laid off I've spent a lot of time job hunting, creating the syllabi for my classes I'll be teaching in the Fall, and trying to work out the logistics of a cross-country move (cats, I should tell you, make everything more complicated). Although I have free time in abundance (a bit too much, honestly), I have not been taking too much advantage of my ability to stay up late and sleep in later, at least not in regard to going out. Since it's looking increasingly likely that I'll have to stretch the few funds I've accumulated and my unemployment checks until we leave in August, frugality has been my watchword, and it's hard to justify spending money on tickets, cover charges, and overpriced cocktails.
The boyfriend and I did catch Tipper at 1015 a few weeks ago (Tipper was great, the dubstep DJs who proceeded him not so much), and have plans for Gui Boratto at Paradise Lounge, Junior Boys at Bimbo's, and then back to Paradise Lounge for Superpitcher. Overall, though, it seems like there's not that much going on that makes me feel compelled to drop the bucks associated with a night out. Some of this can certainly be attributed to my need to detach myself a bit from the scene, but conversations here and there have made me think that I'm not the only person who finds the scene just a bit deflated right now.
When I went through 54 weeks of unemployment starting in the Summer of 2003 the situation was a bit easier to deal with, as I was spending a lot of time insinuating myself into the life of The City; if I didn't have work, I still had plenty to explore, people to meet, opportunities for hanging out. Now, though, as I'm in the process of disengaging, being unemployed is a pretty big bummer. Along with the usual depressive effects of being laid off and unable to find work, the drop-off in social engagement has begun to make me feel as if I've already left San Francisco, that I'm daily fading away as a presence in my social milieu.
I know that the street faire season kicks off soon, and I'm sure that clever Friscans will soon start coming up with recession-appropriate activities, all of which should provide me with an opportunity to beat my unemployment blues but, for the first time since moving here, I've begun to feel beaten down by The City.
10 comments:
I TOTALLY AGREE ABOUT THIS CITY! IVE LIVED HERE FOR 6 YEARS. I LOVE IT FOR WHAT IT IS, BUT THIS CITY CAN BE DEPRESSING.
Did I see Kook running down Now Street yesterday in green shorts...
HOT !
Just pretend you're already a tourist coming back for a visit after having moved away.
There are some free events that can help avoid straining the budget. Of course, some of them it's just no cover and you have to avoid drinking to save the money as well.
Yes, that was the Kook himself, though the green shorts used to be mine!
"Just pretend you're already a tourist coming back for a visit after having moved away" is actually great advice, but not just for this situation. Living in the city with that mentality omnipresent can lead to constant rediscovery and freshness, a willingness to try new things, all that fun stuff.
That said, I completely understand where Phil is coming from, and am experiencing it with him. It's hard to figure out if we've given up on it, or if it's given up on us, but it certainly feels like one or the other is happening. Our meager social scene has shrunk to a few crumbs here and there, and the once constant fluidity of experience SF seemed to offer has become stilted and forced.
I'm sure there are a complex set of factors at work here, and us moving is a big one, if even behind the scenes. But goddamn, is it really that easy to disappear?
hey, we still want to get together with you guys!
xo,
- M
54 weeks on unemployment ?! You are the reason our financial system is broken. My taxes paid for your "time off".
Get a real job please !!
Um, I was sending out multiple job applications during that time, had signed up with any temp staffing agency that I could find, and I was only in actual unemployment compensation for six months. So, if you want me off unemployment, then give me a goddamn job.
PS, perhaps you're the one who needs to get a clue about the struggles many people face in trying to find work in a deep recession.
Hey, Didn't mean to hurt your feelings, (it's me, the anonymous poster questioning your sincerity in job search). But I have atleast 2 friend who got laid off, and are sitting on their A$$ cos unemployment is covering them for 6 months or more....
I guess you are looking hard enough, so I am sure you will find something. Sorry again !
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