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After working for myself for > 30 years, and the last 10 remote - I think I am basically unemployable now. In the sense that, similar to yourself, I don't thin

After working for myself for > 30 years, and the last 10 remote - I think I am basically unemployable now. In the sense that, similar to yourself, I don't think I could ever work for someone again. All the niggly details about office work in a big organisation now horrifies me. I had to assist a colleague with a government tender he was submitting last month, and even after one meeting with a government committee, I had to tell him I was out. Just spending a couple of hours in a meeting room with people that had no idea about anything going back and forth and playing politics and power broking almost had me running, screaming out of the room. Its very similar to another scenario I am in. I haven't had television in our house for nearly 10 years, and every time I go to a friend's place and they have it on, I am astounded by the sheer volume and regularity of nonsense and ads being blared at you. When you are immersed in the situation day to day, it is easy to become numb to it and just accept it - but when you take an extended break from it and then come back, you really notice it. And don't talk to me about commuting. I have friends that still regularly commute 2 hours each way every day for work. My commute is walking downstairs to my home office. I think of all that time people spend sitting in cars and public transport, and wonder about all the lost creative time they could be spending doing something with.

isostatic 9y ago
You're lucky. My office is upstairs, meaning the commute is downstairs to the kettle, then back upstairs to the desk, twice as long as yours!
- cyberferret 9y ago
  Haha - My kettle is upstairs!! But then again, my wife (who also works part time from home) brings me my cups of tea...
  - mrhappyunhappy 9y ago
    You two made my day. My office is down the hallway but I'm rarely in it, wife thinks working from home means I have all day every day free to help her do x and y.
adventured 9y ago
> I have friends that still regularly commute 2 hours each way every day for work. ... and wonder about all the lost creative time they could be spending doing something with. Or at least getting well compensated for the 1 or 2 hour commute each way. That's a lot of time-money value for a freelancer in a given month. Save on destroying your vehicle, save on gas, save the time, save the hassle & brain numbing commute, live slightly further out and save a lot on real-estate, etc. It's funny, just seven to ten years ago telecommuting in most of the US was still largely a fantasy premise. Often talked up, but the opportunities were scarce at best for most people. It's finally starting to deliver on the potential.
- cyberferret 9y ago
  Yes, I am surprised that telecommuting seems to have taken so long to become mainstream. I remember when I started doing it nearly 15 years ago, a lot of my family and colleagues thought I was crazy. But for me, even a 25 minute commute (at the time) was too much for me. I know a lot of people who take public transport say they spend the time listening to music, reading a book or taking in podcasts - and that is great. But for me, if I walk downstairs to my office first thing in the morning and I am not feeling it, I am glad I can reach back and pick up my guitar and play some scales or noodle away to get my brain into focus.

isostatic 9y ago

You're lucky. My office is upstairs, meaning the commute is downstairs to the kettle, then back upstairs to the desk, twice as long as yours!

cyberferret 9y ago
Haha - My kettle is upstairs!! But then again, my wife (who also works part time from home) brings me my cups of tea...
- mrhappyunhappy 9y ago
  You two made my day. My office is down the hallway but I'm rarely in it, wife thinks working from home means I have all day every day free to help her do x and y.

adventured 9y ago

> I have friends that still regularly commute 2 hours each way every day for work. ... and wonder about all the lost creative time they could be spending doing something with. Or at least getting well compensated for the 1 or 2 hour commute each way. That's a lot of time-money value for a freelancer in a given month. Save on destroying your vehicle, save on gas, save the time, save the hassle & brain numbing commute, live slightly further out and save a lot on real-estate, etc. It's funny, just seven to ten years ago telecommuting in most of the US was still largely a fantasy premise. Often talked up, but the opportunities were scarce at best for most people. It's finally starting to deliver on the potential.

cyberferret 9y ago
Yes, I am surprised that telecommuting seems to have taken so long to become mainstream. I remember when I started doing it nearly 15 years ago, a lot of my family and colleagues thought I was crazy. But for me, even a 25 minute commute (at the time) was too much for me. I know a lot of people who take public transport say they spend the time listening to music, reading a book or taking in podcasts - and that is great. But for me, if I walk downstairs to my office first thing in the morning and I am not feeling it, I am glad I can reach back and pick up my guitar and play some scales or noodle away to get my brain into focus.