Unemployed but Overcommitted

I couldn't wait for our week-long trip to Fort Lauderdale to get away from the circus I call my life.  Though I have been unemployed for seven months, I have barely had time to catch my breath between job interviews, volunteer commitments, and requests from people who think I have more time to donate to their cause.

Potential employers who suspect a loss of motivation amongst the unemployed, are quick to test the waters, asking, "So what have you been doing for the last seven months?"  I write grant proposals part time and work at the Saratoga County Animal Shelter cat annex 1-2 days a week. Add an hour here and an hour there to sit on event planning committees, attend networking mixers, and go to job interviews. Our elderly neighbor, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, has deemed me as her first contact for miscellaneous errands and to talk about her distress over the aliens working in the basement.  My adult stepson makes several distress calls because he is unemployed and recently out of a relationship.

I wish I could say that being unemployed is less stressful than working.  But for me, unemployment has has meant a fragmented schedule with frequent interruptions and less time and energy for personal hobbies. Looking for a job in this economy is almost a full-time job riddled with energy-draining disappointments.  Working offers focus, challenge and an excuse for saying "no" to superfluous requests.