music of my mind

This is a post which I've been planning for ages. So long, in fact, that I've already (sort of) shared it IRL with one of the few commenters on the site (hi there, Swisslet).

Anyway, the main reasons that I use my phone are to take photos and listen to music. At one point during the work shit last year I made a note of some of the albums on my phone that happened to fit my situation. Some were my own, others were copied from friends - notably the blues titles that fitted a little too well.

These were all genuinely on my phone at the same point (mid September) and soundtracked many long days and nights when I was trying to salvage my career. 

Admittedly I've monkeyed around with the order a little to make it read in a more pleasing way and this is not a complete list of my phone's contents. But even so it's hard to escape the feeling that the universe was trying to tell me something at the time. And as an old friend used to tell me in a similarly momentous crunch point in my life, there are no coincidences:

• This is Happening - LCD Soundsystem (Spotify link)
• Pushin' My Luck - Robert Belfour (Spotify link)
• Most Things Haven't Worked Out - Junior Kimborough (not on Spotify)
• Too Bad Jim - RL Burnside (not on Spotify)
• Depression Cherry - Beach House (Spotify link)
• Pee Wee Get my Gun - T Model Ford (not on Spotify)

In another spooky-ish coincidence, I came upon this article on The Guardian website. A lot of this chimes very much with my experience at work - especially the comments from people who said that they felt they had to work harder and longer than others to prove themselves.

The article contains a link to a Government consultation on work, health and disability but it closed last week - I hadn’t heard anything about this consultation, had anyone else?

Back in the (even more real) real world, as hinted previously I’ve stopped my claim for Job Seekers Allowance and started a claim for Employment Support Allowance. I’ve also got a short contract for some freelance consultation work, which is good.

Less good? Another dispiriting job interview experience (where I knew half the panel) which led to another rejection and - as yet, over a week later - no feedback. Guh.