h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've just had an email from work accepting my resignation. I've decided that I'm not going back to work at the end of my maternity leave.

It's very scary.

We all grump about work at some point, but we do seem to judge our self-worth on our jobs.

Do you need to work to stay sane? I thought I did....

What would you do if you didn't have to work? Would you do it anyway? Would you have better thngs to do? What would make you willing to see such a big drop in the household salary?

I'd love to not work...

If I could chose a job that would make me happy I'd go back to ushering or maybe work (or own) a newsagent (I used to joke about wanting to run a sweetshop as a kid so I could eat all the sweets...now I've worked a sweet kiosk and office jobs I know which one I would prefer). If I could afford to retrain I would get a qualification in careers advice and try to get a job in that.

But I can't afford to stop working, not while there is a mortgage to pay and bills piling up. And unless some windfall comes out of nowhere it looks very unlikely that that will change

Hmm, if I didn't have to work because I'd won the lottery or something and had enough money to live comfortably I probably wouldn't do what I'm doing now...
However, I'd probably either go back to school and pick up a few more useless pieces of paper or launch myself into a career I've always fancied doing but didn't think I could make any money out of! (Musician for example) I think for me it wouldn't be a question of not working, it would be a question of not having to worry about the money coming in... (I don't think I could just go on permanent holidays or sit around the house all day doing nothing)

I'd like to work part-time and write the rest of the time....if I had a small windfall to pay off my debts and buy a small house outright..I could do it..but it's just a dream!

I'd need to do something... Which I'm not at the moment... I've got terminal bordness

I guess I'd work just a bit to feel myself more important.
Other than that - there is so many things to do with the time that working quite often just seems to be a waste. I'll quit my job in few weeks. I have to find a new one though as I am the only one of three of us to bring home the food and pay the bills.

I'd probably do some job that i'd like, or that isn't boring...

J.J

I had to make that choice and I agree it's quite scary, some people give mothers a hard time for choosing a career over 'homemaking'.

I made the choice to go back to work, and yes I really think it keeps me sane! The financial benefits are obvious although until the little darling starts school child care is quite expensive.

I opted for working and my career is going very well, but I have to admit there is always the nagging feeling that I am missing out.. On the other hand I make weekends extra special so that the days I have off are filled with things little bit loves to do!

Which is why if I have another child I will take a longer break (the first being only 3 months) and enjoy the time at home before they are too old to appreciate it!!

Working part time is always an option later so don't worry and enjoy the wonderful time with your wee one, once its gone you can't turn back the clock with regret!!

If i won the lottery or came into a load of money, Id still work. However, it wouldnt be as a corporate wage-slave, id start a business myself, a nightclub, or dutch coffee-shop, or similar... Me and my friends have a deal that if anyone of us comes into money, i.e. lottery or inheritance, they will start a business and employ the others, so we can all get out of wage-slave drudgery...

Yeah, agree whole-heartedly with Bob!

If I didn't have to work, it would mean that I had lots of money from somewhere. In which case I would want to start my own venture and would probably end up working much harder than I do at the moment.

Having a baby is a bit different. Harder than a job, I expect!

If I became even marginally financially independent today, I wouldn't be here tomorrow.

There are much more interesting things to do in life than work!

It's been my ambition since before I left school to be 'of independent means'. Would I work... if I had the money to start my own business, then yes I would. Or I might just take a writing course and try to become the most prolific entry writer on h2g2

I'd still need to do something... Other than H2G2 recreation, things, like here, reading etc., are only such as they are seperated from teh other bits of our lives, called "work" Well, in my case it isn't exactly work, but studying... But its kind of simualr I get bored now, not having anything to do on my course because of how they are mucking me about, and I get bored with all the things I like doing, listening to music, playing guitar, H2G2... etc... They just don't have the same feel doing them, without something else, I.E., college to take up time I think I'd like the idea of part time work, say three, or four days a week, leaving a longer weekend I guess

My company offered me a lovely part time job, but I found I wasn't happy witht he idea, when push came to shove. Allmy rational reactions were saying take it, but the rest of me wasn't having it.

I remember saying to Anna before the birth that I couldn't face the idea of being a home with a baby if it would be like being unemployed. She said it wasn't, and she's right. Being unemployed drove me potty (mind you that was BH - Before Hootoo). This is very different indeed and the days and weeks fill pretty quickly! I can't believe it's nearly a year....

...but I still can't quite believe I sent that email and burnt my boats.

I find I never get bored when there's nothing to do, because there's always something I can do. I only get bored when I'm doing repetetive tasks. Which covers just about every job out there.

If I had independent means, I would probably choose to spend my life studying at uni. Learning things is one of the few things I am good at. I wouldn't mind taking degrees in stuff I haven't done yet, like english or history.

On the basis I had the financial means to not need a salary, I would definately spend my time doing things...

Top of the list would be to throw myself into American Football coaching and to do all I can to raise the profile and participation of the sport in the UK.

Secondly, I would make a determined and final effort to get my series of controversial comic fantasy novels completed and published

If I didnt have to work, there is no way that I would. And I also know that I will not bring a child into this world knowing that I have to leave it behind and go to work. Thats not a dig, I have huge respect for women who can do both. Its just my personal belief that the baby didnt ask to come into the world, I decided that it should. So why should I leave it for a number of hours after its first 3 months of life???

And if I was lucky enough to have the means to not work, I can think of a thousand and one things I'd want to do which is more enjoyable than sitting at this desk...

hahahahahaha!!! work if i didn't have to?! hahahahahahahah!!!!!