Working for Free in the Shutdown Season

Well, as of this morning, I am working for the government pro bono. I’m too “essential” to be furloughed but not valuable enough to be paid during a shutdown. In the decade I’ve worked for the federal government, there have been many shutdown threats. This may be the first time we actually felt it. The budget ended Thursday afternoon, so as it stands, my next check will be eight hours short, and there’s no guarantee when I’ll get another paycheck. It’s okay. I’m fairly certain all the “exposure” I’ve been given for free creative work will likely come in handy soon.

Presently, I’m waiting for some sort of continued resolution to assuage my trepidation. I know I’ll get back pay for the work I’m currently doing. Not only will I have to work for free for the foreseeable future if a budget bill isn’t passed, but I’m unable to take any sick days. I learned that no vacation days are approved, and if this shutdown lasts long enough, I could lose access to healthcare for my family. What a time to be alive.

I know my job is a blessing. I don’t always enjoy the work, and most days feel like my brain is atrophying from the sheer boredom. Yet, it pays the bills, normally, and keeps us fed and dry. For that, I can’t complain. I’ve done much worse things for far less money. Again, just having a job these days is a blessing, much less one with benefits. I’m thankful and don’t take any of that lightly.

This season of political uncertainty has made my life incrementally more stressful than in previous years. The world is groaning, and our country continues to fracture day by day. It’s sad to watch. It’s worse to live through.

I’m sure I could live in this perpetual state of panic, but why? Sometimes I look at periods like these as divine opportunities to help me grow. Where is my faith? It’s surely not in some job, not in the government, nor in the self-serving politicians that pit us all against one another. I’m glad my faith is in something eternal and not the fugacious nature of humanity. No, there are too many good things happening for me to worry about this.

Is it inconvenient? Yeah! But life goes on. One way or another, things always work out. Heck, this may be the catalyst that pushes me on to the next thing. So, I’ll look at this momentary privation as an adventure. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Tomorrow, I get to hang out with my family and celebrate my youngest sister’s wedding day. I may even twerk on the dance floor, who knows. My debut poetry book, A Toad in a Glass Jar, will be released into the wild in a few short weeks. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been privileged to make great friends in various creative circles. My articles are periodically picked up by a handful of outlets that I only dreamed of a few years ago. Things are happening, even when they feel crazy. Buckle up. Good stuff is on the way.

How could I forget you, dear reader? You’re awesome, too. Thank you for supporting this weekly venture these last few years. On dark days, weeks, and months, you’ve provided a salve that helped me keep going with your comments and encouragement. Don’t stop now. I may need you more than ever soon, so please share these with your friends and family. I’m forever grateful for you indulging these dissonant thoughts of mine! Now watch me make an awkward transition and wrap this thing up with a nature fact.

Autumn is here. The temperatures are dropping, and the marbled salamanders are moving to their ephemeral pools to breed. I knew you’d need to know that little tidbit. You’re welcome. Just like the pools those amphibians frequent this time of year, all these things are temporary, the good and the bad. So, why not see it for what it is and try to live accordingly? I’m thankful most of all that my faith is aimed at something much higher than the temporal. Who knows, by the time you’re reading this, perhaps all will be right with the world again, and I’ll have made a mountain out of a molehill. Time will tell. Time marches on. It’s always all about perspective.

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Stan Lake is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker currently living in Bethania, North Carolina with his wife Jess and their house full of animals. He split his time growing up between chasing wildlife and screaming on stages in hardcore bands you’ve never heard of. He has been published by Dead Reckoning Collective, The Havok Journal, Reptiles Magazine, Lethal Minds Journal, and many others. He filmed and directed a documentary called “Hammer Down” about his 2005 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in with Alpha Battery 5-113^th of the NC Army National Guard. You can find his books, collected works, and social media accounts at www.stanlakecreates.com

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.