Burn out.

Even though I am temporarily unemployed I have been a very busy boy for the past few weeks. I have continued to apply for jobs, I think in the last couple of weeks I have applied for over twenty different jobs. This process can be soul destroying. Several of the jobs have required me to fill rather complex and lengthy application forms which take a minimum of two hours to complete. For all the hard work and the effort that I put into these forms the only thing that I receive is a standard response saying, “No thanks, you're not good enough for this job.” I try and think that I get this response because of the high levels of unemployment that we are continuing to face, but it is never a nice feeling to be rejected even when you think you're perfect for that job.

I have to go to the Jobcentre on Tuesday for my thirteen week meeting. The worst thing about the Jobcentre is that you go and meet someone every two weeks to “sign on”, they take a quick look at my Jobseekers diary, get me to sign on the dotted line and then that's it. There's nothing else for me to do but to go home and sit my unemployment funk and feel like they couldn't give a s*** about me or anybody else who walks into that place seeking help to get back into work. If they tell me that I haven't been trying hard enough then I will kick off.

On a more positive note I have completed three short stories and I've sent these off to literary magazines for publication. Even though I feel that I have produced these to a high standard with engaging characters and good story-line’s I am expecting rejections. That doesn't matter as I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment at getting these done. Even if they do reject these stories I have ideas to expand these and turn then into larger pieces.

As for the title of this piece, burn out. I do feel really knackered, but that feeling of tiredness comes from working hard over these past couple of weeks and I feel rather happy at that.