Day One, Term One, 2015

The other day I complained to someone that my holiday was almost at an end, and that I'd soon be going back to work. He said, "Well, at least you have a job to return to."

He's right, you know. I felt really bad that I'd complained.

The truth is, I was retrenched in October 2010, and it took me almost two full years to get back into steady employment, because our economy was (and still is) so bad. In that time, I did a few contract jobs, and taught guitar lessons, to survive. The months between contracts were torturous, taking me to the brink of hopelessness. It was the love of family and friends (and my stubbornness) that brought me through that darkness.

Today was only my third consecutive Day One of Term One, since my retrenchment. I am grateful to have a job, in a field in which I'm qualified, and in which I have lots of experience. In January 2011 and 2012, I was unemployed, as was I the Decembers before. Facing a new year as an unemployed person is depressing, to say the least. Life just goes on, relentlessly, with all its demands - rent, food, electricity, etc. I've been accused of being too generous when people come begging at our door (a common occurrence in South Africa), but it's because I can relate to that feeling of desperation to feed one's family. When you have no income, and someone gives you R20 for electricity, it's just about enough to get you through one night and into the next day - but when you're in survival mode, that R20 feels like a million rand.

Even though every job has its less exciting aspects, and there'll always be colleagues who drive you insane, I have a lot to be thankful for. I work about 6km from home; even without a car, it's easy to get to work. I work on a campus that has grass and trees, which makes me happy. I teach a subject I love - English - and that makes me feel alive. I'm in daily contact with young people we call the "born-frees" (born after we gained our freedom from apartheid, in 1994), and that in itself is a privilege. I learn almost as much as I teach, from my students. Meeting the new students at the beginning of the year is exciting, and I can't wait till lectures start.

When I was unemployed, I had a checklist for my dream job. Some of the items were:
 - not far from where I live
- in a field that excites me
- where I earn enough to live without anxiety
- where I can look out of my window and see a garden
- where I can make a difference in people's lives
- where I can contribute to the new South Africa

So, yes - I had a gorgeous 32-day summer holiday, I feel relaxed and revitalised, and I am deeply grateful to the universe for enabling me to have a job that I can return to.