A blog about being on an educational journey in my own life

– an explorer on a voyage of discovery.

Not all who wander are lost.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Have a haircut in a time pocket!


It is amazing to think of - I have known my hairdresser for almost 40 years! He know me and my life history better than most. Entering Jørn Sten Hansen's saloon is like stepping into a time pocket. Even though more than 40 years has passed since Jørn opened his saloon back in 1967 not much has changed. If it wasn't for the movement of the hands of the clock and the new date on the newspaper you wouldn't be able to see much difference from back then. You still need to turn the handle on the cash register as back then and the whole establishment: the black chairs, the sinks, the choice of colors and the big mirror which has experienced so much bears witness of a time which has passed - and thanks God for that - please don't change anything Jørn!

To be honest a few more things has been changed - giving a connection to the outside world - the photos. Jørn is a keen photographer and from time to time a new photo finds its place on one of the walls. For instance a collage with hairdressers from New York, Washington DC and Jørn him self in his shop in Denmark.

But apart from that, visiting Jørn is like being taken prisoner in a time pocket, which is living its own life totally unnoticed - places like this are becoming more and more rare now a days. In less than a second I'm back in time - hooked to all the memories in my own life. But it is more than that, it is a room for reflection, silence and relaxation and not least conversation - Jørn has the ability to be a therapist based on life experience and living in the present. It is a welcome opportunity to escape the busy hectic outside world which is moving on and on. When I arrive stressed and with low batteries - he turns my thoughts into new circles - I believe it must be better than tranquillizers.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

American Beauty - the flying plastic bag

After writing about "My life on the clothes-line" I came across the famous "flying plastic bag" scene from the movie "American Beauty" from 1999 directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball.

There are many interpretations whether the film is a mystery story, a kaleidoscopic journey through American suburbia, a series of love stories or whether it deals with loneliness and beauty. Many of the scenes are about life in general and deals with issues such as hate, anger and frustration. And it is sometimes hard to figure out whether it is a funny drama or a serious comedy.

But the reason it is mentioned here is that from my point of view, one of the main messages of the film is to show that even in situations of utterly ugliness, there is beauty in everything - even if it at first sight looks insignificant, meaningless or boring. In this perspective even an inharmonious plastic bag floating and dancing in the wind above a parking lot in front of a wall on a cold gray day becomes beautiful. As the plastic bag is representing the real value of life and beauty, so are the swing patterns of the clothes-line a kind of carrier wave at which I in the end find my personal resonance in order to bring everything into better harmony.

In the film Ricky recognizes the beauty of everyday life in small things and shoots a video of as much as he can in fear of missing it. The scene with the flying plastic bag is what he considers the most beautiful thing he has ever captured. He tells Jane that the dancing plastic bag got him to realize that there is "an entire life behind things" and he feels that "sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it ... and my heart is going to cave in".
 
Take a look at the flying plastic bag scene with Ricky and Jane...

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

My life on the clothes-line

Autumn has arrived bringing rain and windy weather, and stripping the trees of their foliage. I also feel the winds coming from shifting directions and the increasingly rougher climate. I have got the feeling that my life is put on display to the eyes of everyone and that it may be subjected to scrutiny and analysis from any point of view by the whole world including myself. I feel like a piece of laundry dangling from side to side on the clothes-line, constantly being tossed about by the winds, desperately trying not to lose my grip of the line which is snarling at me and hurting my palms, but nevertheless is my loyal traveling companion.

The uncertain prospects for the future mingled with the most likely well-intended and meaningful opinions of many people about what would be good for me and my future together with my own imaginative attempts to gather the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that forms my life are jostling me in every direction, to and from in inharmonious figures. Systems like storms blowing from all directions are trying to control me by tearing me off the clothes-line and blow me in the same direction as everything else torn off the line. They make me flutter in a way that passes my comprehension, from time to time making my body assume acrobatic positions which may make the observer wonder if the man hanging from the clothes-line is out of his mind. "Well, he probably does not belong to our group, but might be one of these people who wastes his time on drying!" they seem to think while hurriedly passing by in their own world.

I am growing thin-skinned and my resistance is failing by the numerous attempts at blowing me off the line. If I lose my grip I will fall onto the fence which is just in front of it – this clothes-line which is snarling and hurting me, but nevertheless constitutes my life line right now; the same on which I am cautiously crawling in calm weather. My considerable ability to change direction and turn my back on the rain when it becomes too much, and my face to the sun when it appears on rare occasions in autumn, weakens or even disappears in the chilly nights.

Now and then, when the wind falls and the sun is shining, I may collect all my energies and actually be able to swing the line; all the washing is gamboling while I have risen so high up in the air that I can look over the fence. When I am up there my view is extended. I see life and possibilities and even though it is chilly, I feel an inner warmth and optimism – I have the sensation of being my usual self again.

I perceive reality as a need to be myself from time to time on the clothes-line. To be myself and not being afraid of drying on my own conditions – and to be able to define my own swing pattern and to find my personal resonance in order to bring it into better harmony. I realize with growing clarity the importance – as well as the necessity – of finding my proper wind direction so that I avoid being sacrificed, chafed and numb from hanging on the clothes-line, and, finally, blown off. If somebody would help me, this is where I require assistance. Then I will be able to lose my hold of the line and climb down safely to the ground, land on both feet and stand firm.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Marinating

I have learned a new word: Marinating! I love it! It is a metaphor which describes in a very figurative way how you are entangled, surrounded, boxed in, full of something for instance thoughts, a dilemma, a stressful or difficult situation for instance when the unemployment situation gets to be too much. You can't move, there seems to be no way out, you are stuck and you are just captured in that everlasting box of feelings and emotions - you are surrounded and soaked - it is all over you!

As for marination this process can last seconds or days and is carried out with different mixtures of spices to flavor the food items and the experience. But letting something soak in leaves time for reflection and for turning over the matter in one's mind and very often new possibilities will occur.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Surveillance

Being watched over is a feeling which has come to me several times as unemployed and being part of the Danish job creation program. I suppose the intention of the Danish insurance system in the early days was to comfort the unemployed in a difficult situation but thats not the case anymore. The system has turned into a grotesque labyrinth of rules and control which from a human and psychological point of view makes it very difficult for the individual to stay focused on what is essential, namely finding a new job opportunity. It seems to be the ruling belief that the unemployed cheat - a way of thinking which has its origin in the 70's and the 80's, a different time with a more nonchalantly understanding of social benefits mostly repercussions from the happy 60's. An approach based on mistrust and a belief that unemployed in general misuse social benefits and avoid the obligation to seek job, generates individual emotions of shame and guilt and this is from a psychological point of view not encouraging in a difficult situation.

Constant surveillance of the individual to ensure justice of the system do not mentally secure the individual and may have as a consequence that the individual feels insecure - the security system produces its own insecurity!

Having the feeling of constantly being watched over - logs, letters, plans made by others, official people asking what I'm doing etc. - generates a unconscious pattern of behavior where I start monitoring myself - am I doing the right thing at the moment? and I may even start to change behavior into a pattern which I do hope is not misunderstood by in this case the system - a kind of "I better give them this because it gives me less trouble" or "they want me to look for...". To me it is a worrying and misunderstood way of treating unemployed people.

It is difficult to give you the impression of being surveyed - but let me make an attempt! Put yourself into the position of being watched over by this short sequence from the French thriller "Hidden" (French: Caché) from 2005 by Michael Haneke about a French family whose quiet daily life is disturbed when they start to receive surveillance tapes of their own residence from an anonymous source. Later they receive letters and things showing that someone with a thorough knowledge of the family is secretly watching them and their life starts to collapse. Yes the sequence is short but give it a try...

Thursday, July 22, 2010

It is just for show!

Talking about "the system", the official job creation program, as a facade and an illusion reminds me of the french-Italien movie "The Confession" (French: L'Aveu) from 1970 starring the married couple Yves Montand and Simone Signoret in two of their best roles.

It is a movie based on a book by Lise and Arthur London covering the true story about the very same Czech communist Arthur London who was defended in the Slánský trial in 1952. It is more a movie against totalitarianism and the trial than communism in particular.

In the movie the Czech vice minister of foreign affairs, Gerard, is kidnapped and imprisoned without knowing the reason why. Even though he is a loyal and faithful communist he is accused of treachery by an organization declaring themselves "above the ruling party". Because the system needs a case he is forced to play the game by using brainwashing techniques, drugs, learning by rote and physical humiliation and pressured into confessing imaginary crimes in a public court together with many others leading communists.

It becomes more and more clear to them that they are part of a show trial, the system has to make them an example, it is a make up of imaginary rules and systems needed to be followed to fulfill the empty show.

Things starts to fall apart and even though it is a matter of life, survival and uncertainty, humor and irony breaks through and becomes a turning point.

Well I know the Slánský trial is another ball game, but I could not resist the chance to point out some similarities to my own experiences. Judge for yourself. Here is a scene from the end of the movie.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Thinking of nothing!

Field Music, a band from Sunderland, England is on my mind at the moment. The Band consists of the core members David and Peter Brewis, Kev Dosdale, Ian Black and from time to time Andrew Moore. They have been on and off since they formed in 2004, but they are still here and seem to have a massive tour going on in the UK this year

It is melodic classic English pop which pushes to my boundaries and I love them. They break the rules with their edge-cutting lyrics, riffs, their wry way of putting words together combined with humor and irony. Their expression is traditional with spots of Beatles and on the other hand utterly modern.

Their songs often expresses the everyday hopelessness in a challenging and provocative way - and are in many ways an outlet for feelings like: Shame, guilt, humiliation often associated to the meaningless in life and work life in particular.

Of course there songs strikes a resonance in my own situation by putting  words on the emotions and feelings and in that respect they are part of my mental work out.

So the picture of being shattered in different ways is recognizable: Applications which never became reality, the way "the system" - the job creation program - treats me as unemployed  - becoming more and more an illusion which in the beginning is dealt with enthusiastic but in time becomes a painful duty done in pure and simple necessity - "Them that do nothing make no mistakes" - it is well known that the system is a facade - "How do we trust the speaker - When his calling is to call?".

But this particular song also draws my attention to the different interpretations of "doing nothing" not meaning necessary laziness or cheating or the like as "the system" believes in. But to me there is also a forward-looking, positive, optimistic, reflective and edifying outcome of doing nothing for a period of time. It is a way to establish room for reflection, new ideas and creativity. I think it has become a new theme for me!

"I don't mean to sound tight" but listen to the song yourself!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

A day at the office!

Experiences from a recent meeting at the local outplacement bureau which is working for the local authority.

My past which remained the past
The walls have the same white color, the tables are the same as last time, set as at the doctor's,  three in total, one chair in front and one behind - but the
caseworker is new. She tells about her past – AF (employment service),  Kultorvet (job center) and about her current job at the local outplacement bureau which is working for the local authority - very stimulating for her apparently. I think: "Where am I in this? - But small talk is always a good way to learn to know each other!" I'm waiting to see when we'll come to who I am and what I need, although it all feels like it starts all over again like the first meeting. But it's just that, we do not. My history with the local outplacement bureau remains in the past, my CV and I personally seem to be uninteresting – the case worker only briefly listens to what I have done lately and asks shortly about whether I got my last job through a program for unemployed people (!) - No I did not - I found it myself at that time 10 years ago in the queue in Metro (local super store) – using my network - no reflection or reaction to see on the other side of the table.

My course will be rectified
My future is very quickly getting complicated - I do not have the right ticks in the
journal. Another case worker is called. An intense and technical discussion takes place between the first and the arriving caseworker - it's obviously complicated - is he a HIG'er? - Has he taken the writing course? - How with this or that course? - He must be activated – it is almost time for that! In itself interesting to observe how it is possible to plan someone else's future without asking him. Minutes goes by and becomes more of its kind – I'm loosing myself there at the chair in front of the desk – but somehow I pull myself together and hear myself saying: "Maybe someone has evaluated individually, that I should not
participate on the writing course!". The continuous talking stops briefly and a head is turned towards me - but only for a short time - then the discussion continues. I have now been upgraded to "the candidate". It takes a little time before I become aware that the candidate is me and that my candidacy is to get a new job. "The candidate has a right to know what the requirements are!" - Yes but I'm also siting here and looking forward to join the talk. Gradually, the solution is obvious - a four week course will solve the problems – by joining that I will fit into the system and be back on the track again - my course is rectified - it is clearing up from a system point of view. A head is turned towards me noting: "You can probably understand that if you don't have the right ticks and the requirements are not met, we as the local outplacement bureau will not get the job next time! " - The discussion between the two case workers continues. Well to me it sounds reasonable that we secure two jobs for the case workers rather than one for me ...

It is probably best for you
Time passes and I feel more and more runned-over and without any influence – I'm just sitting - collapsing on a chair in front of the desk. There is a lot of typing on the keyboard - the journal is updated – I'm systematized!. A leaflet about work experience in a company is pushed across the table: "You've been to several meetings, have you not heard about this?" - A fleeting wonder passed her face, however is was quickly swept away: "It's probably best for you!". Now I begin to come to myself - in front of the desk - now it is becoming enough. Three quarters has past with requirements I had to meet - "Where am I in this?" - "But we know what goals we must meet, therefore......" the case worker tried. "But my situation now is that the .....!" For the first time the two case workers looks at me and listens for a short time. "But what about the ticks?" asks the first caseworker. The second case worker now takes leadership and makes a plan: "Well - go home and think about it – and then we can talk about it next time"....... I leave the office with the white walls - new candidates has arrived and a case worker has risen from his desk and are in the process of counting and pointing at a wall calendar - it's obviously something with timetables and activation - the candidate sits silently chewing the side bar of his glasses and watch the arms swinging up and down. I trudges across the parking lot – I'm shocked, my whole body is shaking,  I feel slighted, I feel the humiliation and the feeling of not having control over my own situation – this is meaningless.

"Don´t forget the parking card!" someone is shouting after me - the first caseworker is clearly nervous that I will not hand it back! I return the parking card - the caseworker is relieved, now she is in control of the situation. I return to the home base - wondering how long it is necessary to put up with this? And
wondering if others have suffered similar experiences?

PS. The next meeting was canceled because of reorganization -
so now it starts all over again again ......what a waste of mental and economical resources.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

goWalkabout is on the air!

Well almost! But the thoughts and ideas connected to my Walkabout is mentioned at the end in this radio program - "The social challenge" - based on an interview with stress consultant Karina Weidner from IAK (Danish unemployment insurance fund for engineers). The program is about stress and unemployment drawing the attention to the fact that for many unemployed, unemployment makes them feel so stressful that they need help to be able to find themselves a new job.

Listen to the specific broadcast here (I'm sorry but it is only in Danish).

Guestblogger

I have now become a guestblogger at get2business - which is a blog created by IAK (Danish unemployment insurance fund) covering about 65,000 engineers, employed and self-employed - just great! 

The get2business blog is a place for both unemployed and people in job to network and to share knowledge and experiences about being job-seeking.

Monday, July 5, 2010

How far spread is Walkabout?

Out of curiosity- how far spread is the principles of going Walkabout?

How many of you have experience with letting reflection, interests and coincidences set the direction for a while in your life?

Please leave a note - by pressing "COMMENTS" below - telling your story or just saying that you have been here....!

Torben, Copenhagen, Denmark

Monday, June 14, 2010

Emotional development

Being sacked is the beginning of an emotional journey. Through a chaos of feelings, ways of personal behavior and reaction. From my own personal experience there seem to be a kind of a pattern. Starting out with a phase of being in shock, emptiness and a lot of why's going into despairing, frustration, anger and anxiety for the future. After a while a kind of acceptance related to the new situation builds up which moves into attempts to look forward, to do something forward-looking trying to establish a new setting. This development is challenged constantly and there are many relapses, some more serious than others.

Jay Capelle, Wisconsin USA very well describes this tour of emotions in this interview made by Associated Press.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

I have been quiet for a while

Being unemployed is a journey with mentally ups and downs. For me it is a positive and a forward-looking process to go Walkabout. But even the best course of events runs into trouble and gets defeated for a while.

My derailment happened about 3 weeks ago when my wife got sacked a Wednesday at 8 o'clock in the morning. She got a short "warning" on a text message and shortly after a cap driver knocked on our front door delivering the walking papers - and her mobile and email was closed minutes after. I have never seen a person collapse so quickly - and the following hours and days were a veritable nightmare in a state of shock. Many thoughts crossed my mind during those minutes and I still goes through the events of that day in my mind: What will happen now? Will we be able to come through this? Is this a final collapse and will everything fall apart?

But of course life continues and I'm not telling you this because you shall feel sorry but because I want to give you a picture of feelings and reactions during and following a sacking. To be sacked is like a bolt from the blue and the emotional pattern is hard to describe but is often compared to what happens emotionally when we are exposed to attacks, accidents, death or severe illness. The parallelism in how we feel it brings conscious and unconscious memories to our mind and reminds us of former episodes. So it is a mess of feelings of great complexity: Loss of identity, being discarded, unfairness, hopelessness, insufficiency, being up against a superior force, economic and existential uncertainty to mention some. Being part of situations like this reminds us of our own experiences and emotional feelings from our past comes to our minds and we react and gets involved.

So the walkabout is under attack - or is it? This sequence of unpleasant events reminds me of the importance of keep going with my Walkabout - both physically and mentally - using it to bring myself and us and our needs in focus. Sometimes chaos leads to creativity and new insight.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Authenticity

Recently I had the chance again to watch the American thriller "Bullitt" (1968) starring Steve McQueen, Jacquline Bisset and Robert Vaughn. To cut a long story short the plot of the movie is as follows:

A Senate subcommittee holds a hearing in San Francisco on organized crime in America. Bullitt's (Steve McQueen) unit is requested to protect a key witness Johnny Ross over the weekend until the start of the hearing Monday. The unit protects Ross around the clock in a cheap miserable hostel near the double decker Embarcadero Freeway leading up to The Golden Gate Bridge, the freeway was later demolished in the 1989 earthquake. During the weekend two hitmen intrudes the hotel room and Ross gets seriously wounded. Ross dies subsequently of his wounds, but Bullitt tries to keep the secret about the death of the key witness and starts his own investigation which leads him into the mafia. Ross's death becomes more and more of a problem for Bullitt since he was in his custody. But Bullitt succeed in proving that the murdered man was not Ross. The real Ross is on the run and is finally caught by Bullitt in the airport of San Francisco. An episode which ends with the shooting and killing of the real Ross.

But the plot of the movie is not essential to me - but the famous car chase is! - the father of later car pursuit movies - where Bullitt at first is tailed by the two hitmen and later the pursuer leading to the end of the two hitmen.

Why is a car chase with a 1968 440 CID Dodge Charger (375 b hp) and a 1968 390 CID V8 Ford Mustang GT (325 b hp) of importance during my Walkabout? Because by seeing it I recalled how important values like reliability, honesty, passion, authenticity and to be present in the moment is to me and how it brings excitement into a job when these values is part of the nerve.

So to me this is not just another stunt where two cars are chasing each other. It is the intense story about how 3 weeks of filming results in 9 minutes and 42 seconds of film. It is the story about how to succeed doing a car chase at the speeds of about 75-80 mph and camera cars up to 110 mph on the surface streets of hilly San Francisco - and being the first to do it without knowing exactly how to accomplish it. It is the story of how to work with film shooting from different angles to give the illusion of different streets - even though the chase was kept within a few city block's. It is about catching the atmosphere inside and outside of the cars. It is the story about a lot of details for instance how the interior rear-view mirror in the Mustang is up when McQueen is behind the wheel and down when the stunt man is driving, it is about how to catch the real sound of the engine, it is about how to control the cameras on the way down hill to give the audience the right feeling of the jumping up and down, it is about how to secure the cars for the struggles and so on and so on.

All in all 9 minutes and 42 seconds of intensity and authenticity - see it, feel it, listing to it - and you are there.....!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Into the Wild!

It is hard not to be absolutely fascinated by the story about young Christopher Johnson McCardless who in 1992 gave up everything and walked  into the wilderness to be found dead four months later in Alaska by some moose hunters. McCardless gave up his privileged life and comfort in search of adventure. Many people have been affected by McCardless's life and dead. Some characterizes him as naive, a reckless idiot, an arrogant narcissist and others admires him for his courage and noble ideals.

I'm not the one to judge about McCardless and his Walkabout but there are indeed parallels to my own Walkabout. Being out there in the jobless wilderness anxious for the content of the future, what is actually my own (job) identity? And what about the following line:"I read somewhere how important it is in life not necessary to be strong but to feel strong....to matter yourself at least once, to find yourself at least once in the most anxious of human conditions". Being sacked is for me and by many others characterized as an identity crisis – from one day to the next you are nothing in a job oriented western world. The text line brings for me thoughtfulness and possibilities into this chaos – there is here an opportunity to use this “room of nothing” as fuel for reflection on how to move on towards a new job identity – not necessary easy but a chance worth trying!

Judge for yourself - find the book here and the movie here - but start taking a look at the music video by Eddie Vedder and listen to the song lines.


Thursday, May 6, 2010

I am what I think!

Very often the mentality and circumstances of our surroundings have a huge influence on how we feel and on how we create over own self-image. Being unemployed is an exposed position for pressure from the surrounding society: loss of personal identity, the feeling of being controlled by rules and regulations by the authorities - "the system", reduced possibilities due to economical limitations, personal expectations - thoughts like "I need to prove that I'm back in a new job soon" and unsaid expectations from friends, former colleagues and family - they think "I'm nothing if I do not have a job". I realizes in periods that this indefinable picture of self-created and real influences catches me in a sort of a box where I feel very sorry for myself and are unhappy with the whole situation - and from that position it is very difficult to be outgoing, to take the initiative, meet new people and to take the yellow jersey - which is needed when it comes to the process of finding a new job.

Therefore it is even more important to fight against this self-perception and try to find a personal way which enrich one's life mentally. This Walkabout is one of the mentally processes I use to avoid looser mentally and to give myself my creative energy back.

Take a look at this short clip with Director and Inventor of The Eden Project Tim Smith. The Eden Project is situated in Cornwall, UK and deals with our dependence on and connection to the natural world. Tim uses very few words to describe the project but being a very enthusiastic fiery soul he is able to set the scene in relation to looser and winner mentality - hear his voice and look at his expression - and enjoy the smile of the newsreader at the end! It is hard not to feel better afterwards! See it here... (partly in Danish I'm afraid!)

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Simplicity

Uffe Harder (1930 - 2002) was a Danish poet and writer. His poetry was characterized by simplicity (meant positive!) in its expression and wondering at the phenomena in life. 

Being in a chaotic situation I find simplicity a relief and a way to relax and recover.

Bellevue is a beach north of Copenhagen. I used some time last autumn taking pictures there and here is one of those and a poem by Uffe Harder from the collection of poems called "Positions" (Positioner, da), 1964. The translation is unauthorized made by myself.


Bellevue

September

Sand
wire
a row of beach cubicles
with letters

holes in the ground
wind across the sand
waves
deepening darkness
small water basins with fountains
for drinking

no traffic on the roads
the car alone in the car park
deepening darkness
sand
coldness
leaves on the trees
on the threshold of my thirtieth year
here on the sand
in the deepening darkness
and the wind
the questions assume
a painful likeness
to answers

Monday, May 3, 2010

How am I doing this?

Not much time is left in a busy daily round for reflection on what to do in the future. I will take the chance and let reflection and interests set the direction for a while and see what happens. Coincidences has a great influence on our life and my Walkabout is an attempt to push myself into a more chaotic and unpredictable direction. So for the time being my personal interests and reflections on subjects, people, themes, projects, books, exhibitions, pictures etc. will set the direction and sometime in the future we will see if the pieces of this puzzle fall into place and form the frame for a new job life.

I think the following classical scene "You're the man now, Dog!" from the movie "Finding Forrester" says more than many words about how to go Walkabout. Take a look at the scene where Jamal Wallace discovers a new writer in his own self gently (!) provoked and pushed forward by his best friend a withdrawn writer played by Sean Connery.

As in the movie I will see if it possible to turn the pages in the job seeking quicker and more pleasantly from page 1 to 2 by using Walkabout!
 

Why am I doing this?

I guess a lot of whys can be asked!

But this is first of all a personal process - working myself out of an unemployment situation. It is an attempt to turn a complicated position into a positive and more energetic creative work flow by letting coincidence and interest rule. I think there are alternatives to traditional job seeking by applications and that to go Walkabout is one of them with the purpose of increasing the network and broaden my own horizon at the same time.

Another purpose is to take a position to or try to relate to habits, behaviors, taboos and myths connected to being unemployed. It is very common in our society to put people into boxes without asking which one we want to belong to. As time goes by we begin to believe that our picture of the boxed people is true and people inside and outside the box start to act and behave according to this picture. Very much of this is unspoken knowledge in our society, among friends, family and former colleagues but does it have to be like that? And are there connections to other areas, groups of people which it could be interesting to learn from? I think very little has been said and written about these issue so my intention is to reflect during the course of events how I feel about it - a kind of mirroring of my self - from a human perspective and reflect on subjects related to the psychology of being unemployed. My hope is to contribute to a more visible context and a more equal dialog among us about this area instead of just being hold captured in my own box trying to get out!

Why do I have to make this public? Sometimes it is better to face the facts and look the situation in the face and let the unsaid be said - actually it already feels better and has created a more spacious mental room. Other reasons are to push myself forward since this Walkabout is about breaking habits too.

Why is the language English? Because I want to share this with known and unknown relations and friends across borders and again by doing something different than just continue writing in Danish is another way of extending the boundaries.

And least but not last. If this could inspire others to try something a bit different in an unemployment situation - write a book, make a movie, build something, join something - anything that makes it easier to put one foot in front of the other and to keep the personal process on the right track - is has been worth doing.

Feel free to put forward more whys and to comment in Danish if it feels more convenient.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

What is this about?

This is my first Blog post – it has been on its way for a long time – but more about that in a later post! - First a few words to introduce this Blog.

I have realized that frustration, bitterness, self-pity and concern about the future has a good chance of creating a negative self-image for me as unemployed.

This Blog is an attempt of trying to turn the inside out when dealing with an uncertain unemployment situation – to face the facts of the job situation in a more personal and responsible way – giving the search for a new job more life and more real authenticity.

The inspiration to this process comes from the Australian Aboriginals who "go Walkabout" in their teens. They walk in the wilderness for a period of six months as a rite of passage to seek spiritual enlightenment. They are following the exact routes – "the Song Lines" - as were their ancestors. Even though I'm not on a spiritual journey I'm still out in the wilderness searching for my own personal Song Lines when it comes to finding a new job – and even though I don't have ceremonial rituals to set the scene and guide the traveler I will replace this with my own creativity as a driver to move the walk forward towards my own Symphony!

So what will I do? I will take the liberty of spending time on reflection on subjects, people, themes, projects etc. which catches my interest – some of these thoughts and reflections will reach this Blog others will be unwritten. But the idea is to use this Blog as a companion during my Walkabout and brick by brick see the jigsaw puzzle unite to a picture of the new context for my next job – in respect for the Aboriginals let's start the walk!