I’m a nanny. For three very young children. I only had one child, so I am in unknown territory. The three child seats in the back of my SUV blow me away every day. How did I become a nanny? The three children are as sweet as can be. But how did I become a childcare provider when I went to college for journalism? “It’s the economy, stupid,” as they said during President Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Call it what you will. We are in a depression, not a recession. Hundreds of thousands of people have become unemployed. Many of those have taken jobs which they never would have considered before.
While I’m a nanny a few days a week, the other days, if there is work, I copy-edit, or proofread, advertising copy. I cannot find a full-time job as a copy editor.
Despite the fact that ageism is illegal, let’s get real. Ageism still exists. I am over 50. My experience doesn’t matter. And I can’t complain. The experience of people my age never has mattered. My father’s company phased out his 50-something employees decades ago. I guess that I was banking on the power of the Baby Boomer Generation to oppose this discrimination.
Maybe the Baby Boomers are recipients of retirement benefits and don’t care anymore. I don’t know. I’m not close to retiring, and nobody, but nobody, is hiring full-timers. Sure, I can be employed every day of the week by the same company, but only if it’s through an agency. That way, no benefits need to be provided and no guarantee of future employment needs to be offered.
In the meantime, call me Patsy Poppins.
Patsy Porco's Blog: Free and Worth It! 