Firefighting

Its been a while since I last wrote a blog. I have been tweeting pretty much on a daily basis but anything more than 140 characters has eluded me.
My alter ego has been awake - Firefighter!
January 12th first day of my new job role, to say I 'blagged' it a little on the application form and interview would be a correct assessment!
I knew very little about Social Policy - what it was - what it stood for - how it worked, or how it all fitted into advice, the sector I 'blagged' my way to work within.
May 1st, four months into my new role, I now know all of the above and more.... {If you would like to know more or to test my knowledge about social policy and the advice sector, please DM me @aclambart twitter.com and I will give you a comprehensive description ;-)}

Firefighting is in my blood, I enjoy the challenge of knowing nothing about a subject and finding out everything - good job really!
Due to the length of time between finding another job role and my redundancy party I had to find two more part time jobs to enable me to 'mop' up the financial mess created - leaving me knackered!
Three paid jobs plus the unpaid (in monetary terms) job of parenting.
Something had to give? It did!
I now have two jobs, Working within the advice sector, an employability skills tutor plus the parenting one, things are just about manageable.

Firefighting is exciting and fun for a while but to be calm is necessary to find balance - a soothing ointment for the hyperactive body & mind.

It can be a struggle to concentrate on a topic or subject that feels vaguely interesting enough for anyone to read when all around you is demanding your attention {which may be true of this blog I am writing but hey ho!}.
Once you do, it can be the escape you need. Writing can give the solace you require, away from other distractions and chaos of 'real life'.

Helping you to forget that the bills need paying; the boy isn't doing his homework; your day job isn't your dream job; that you don't have the life you saw when you was 12yrs old, looking through your rose tinted NHS spectacles.
As a kid I would write to escape the reality of my life a pen and a piece of paper had the ability to whisk me away to other lands in far away places, with happy families.
I could escape the arguing, drinking the permanent fear that eroded my real life.
In my land of words there wasn't any fighting, alcohol fueled tempers. I walked through soft green meadows, instead of the sharp, pain inflicting egg shells of my life.

Writing refreshes and cleanses your soul giving you the  strength and energy to carry on in the crazy and uncertain world of firefighting!