It’s July. Kids just got out of school. Summer is upon us!

It’s July. And the retail industry says, “Kids will go back to school soon! Summer’s over!”

So here I am, in Phipp’s, pulling down all of the shady patio umbrellas, deck furniture, picnic tables, beach chairs, casual dining ware and all other accoutrements of the warmer, enjoyable weather. After rearranging shelves to accommodate notebooks, calculators, and the all-important Ticonderoga #2 pencils, I’m kicking those kids right back to the reality of their adolescent lives.

I hear the groans of kids crying in despair, “But we just got out of school last week!” Ha, ha, I think, it’s about time you gave up any notion of a relaxing eight-week holiday. Crack open the books, you lazy good-for-nothings! Summer is hard work!

This is my third summer at Phipp’s. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I’d be here still. Thought I’d be in some sort of position to take a vacation someplace and sit down in a comfy chair on a beach, or hike at a national park, even abroad wandering the sardine-packed streets of some distant location, forgetting about my pedestrian daily life and contemplating moving to wherever it is that I roamed.

No such luck.

But there are hints on the horizon that my luck might turn around. And I remain hopeful.

For starters, a friend recommended me to a business colleague to become a grant writer. Though it’s been a while, I can most likely pick it up again. Like riding a bicycle, he said. I have a phone interview next week.

And an artistic colleague of mine recommended me for a position in a job I’d actually like. A place she knew had an opening and she asked for my resume to pass onto HR. They needed someone pretty quick. As it turned out, they hired from inside, but they kept my resume. Said I had impressive experience. They’d keep their ear to the ground to see if there’s something somewhere else that might use my talents. It’s the sort of company that has tentacles in other businesses. Who knows what could come of it?

Though neither of these are exactly ace-in-the-holes, they do validate my belief that I’m a qualified professional capable of doing a great job. My artistic colleague also brought up a good point: I need to find a job that suits me. Makes me happy. Although I pretty much think anything would do at this point, perhaps there’s a chance I might land something that I’ll enjoy doing.

My last interview in early June was weird. I found out why through the grapevine. It seems that nonprofit has a high turnover rate. No one stays there for long. The place has had several executive directors over the years, and for some reason they’ve been the sort of people who are high-demanding with little regard to their employee’s welfare. The sort that focus on minutia. Micromanagers. After I did a bit more research, I discovered the person whose place I’d be taking was there less than five months. And that person replaced someone who was there an equally short amount of time. That says a lot about the workplace. Clearly, it’s not the sort of position I’m after…or anyone, it would seem.

I’m going to ramp up my efforts and try just about anything I can to find a lasting job and get my career moving again. Full steam ahead. I’ve gotten a bit lax about my efforts. Depression will do that to you. But unless I can transition out of my rut, I’m never going to be happy. I have to believe in my self-worth. Because if I don’t think I’m worth the trouble, who else will?