Out of Work, Out of Time

The New York Times:

Since losing my job I’ve struggled with countless questions for which I have no suitable response: Is it healthy for my family to subsist on a diet entirely of packaged ramen, canned beans and grocery-store samples, and if so, must it be certified organic? Does baby really need a new pair of shoes? If I’m so smart how come I’m so broke? The worst question, though, and the one most likely to induce paroxysms of guilt, irritation and half-joking existential despair, is one that seems so simple to answer, but has proven the most vexing: if I’m not working, why don’t I have more time? Shouldn’t a jobless fellow like myself be free to relax, clean house, run errands for my fiancée Tomoko and, most important, spend time with my children, J.P., 4-years-old, and Ellie, the baby?

Read the whole story: The New York Times