100 Business Days Out: Day 25 - Definitions

Okay, I wrote about this a bit before, but I have to give it more airtime now because it just keeps coming up. What is the definition of this period? Is it "sabbatical time", "semi-retirement", or just an honest "unemployed"? It definitely comes up over and over as I talk to others about what I am up to these days. What happens is that other people want me to define it for them. It matters to others depending upon what stage of life they are in. Like physical conditioning, they want to project what they feel on you. The one that is most interesting to me is when someone desires to have you define the time as unemployment. That usually comes when the person I am talking to has been out of work for a while or more than once, not by their choice. It is very critical to be aware of how others are feeling because if you flaunt that you are not working because you choose to not do so, there is a certain animosity that comes with the territory. I am watching this carefully as I, in no terms, in any way want to come across as haughty just because I am able to take time away from working. So, I guess the definitions of this time is the same as the definitions that we have about our life. At any given time, with any given group of people, we define ourselves differently to fit the situation. While we more than often define ourselves by our work and the job title we hold, there are times when one starts with other adjectives like parent, Christian, athlete, married or single, etc. Like the English language our words are flexible in what they mean and how we use them. What I find most important right now is that I choose my words and definitions wisely and in consideratiof that all times to those around me. That way when I come out of semi-retirement, or off of of the sabbatical, or better yet, able to find more work; I can be accepted back into the world of the working with no hard feelings whatsoever.