Traditional definition of morning, is the opening of the day, or a time when people stream out of their houses to work in the fields, a triumph in the struggle between day and night. From the definition we can tell morning is not just the transition in time but also of events and practices. Night, on the hand marks the end of day, characterised by darkness. Weekdays to the employed are typically busy working days.The weekend bridges an ending and an incoming week,a time when employees stay at home with their families and rest. This same period to the Unemployed is usually equalled to holidays such as Christmas, which they find unbearable. Their low income doesn't allow for the societal pressure to celebrate family bonds with items of consumption. It therefore makes some of the Unemployed find weekends similar to weekdays.
In today's Capitalist age, we all tend to be living towards a certain direction, as we share the same time-scale and its warning pace gives life purpose. It is no rocket science that many hold the belief that some social groups may have different times or some, no times at all. This is mostly based on the fact that the texture of our daily lives vary. Full-time paid jobs and schooling hold a firm grip on how our time is lived. This is because such institutions somehow define time and even structure it, for example, a factory employee whose shift begins at 6:30 cannot define a morning in a different way other than the time he/she commences their day job.
Activities such as preparing for work, traveling to work as well as doing the paid work itself are of a great significance and that ends up to be the informant's reality. At this juncture it is therefore right to conclude that, what motivates and drives such a person towards fitting into that schedule is the task which lies ahead of them. The conviction that mornings are only acceptable if there exists something to get up for; either work or an absorbing activity. Isn't it what it is? Now take time and think about the Unemployed.
Unemployment automatically grants an individual plenty of unstructured time. Omit 8 hours(which is the average recommended sleep time) from the 24 hours we all have each day and think about how the remaining 16 hours are spent by the Unemployed. While some strategize and structure their days into productive activities which act as substitutes for employment, most suffer negative effects. We as humans are always in a state of dialogue between the unfolding present and memories of the past. The self always struggles to integrate these moments and to a person who is living under structured time(Employed), they might not pay so much attention to these events as compared to those whose time is unstructured (Unemployed). The Unemployed will easily invest their energies and time on these moments, congregate and hold conversations about the unfolding events. This makes the reason why they struggle to maintain friendships/relationships with their employed counterparts who seem distant since they are always pre occupied with work.
Unemployment breeds a general need of the self to solve the problem of unstructured time and as a result the individual will proactively indulge him/herself in activities such as;
(i) Taking courses. Examples of such courses include; Driving, Carpentry, First Aid, Swimming and Cooking amongst others. Technology has also made it possible to learn and generate an income online by selling goods, selling wisdom, trading and marketing amongst others . These activities are proven to equip the individual with skills that are easily applied to daily lives. They also offer their own satisfactions with the promise of the skillsets being exchangeable against a future condition of employment hence inspiring hope.
(ii) Doing volunteer work. This can be any form of social practice in an institution such as a hospital, school or a Non governmental Organization which equips the participant with a work like function. It opens up the chances of meeting new people and newer opportunities hence adding value to an individual's life.
(iii) Carrying out hobbies amongst others. It is important to note that most of the Unemployed are younger, artistic individuals who consider the day job oppressive and thus prefer to pursue their creative interests in the course of a free flowing day. When practised consistently and perfectly, these hobbies and creative abilities become a livelihood and completely enable the individual to escape the rat race for example Playing a musical instrument, singing, making jewellery and Sports.
We therefore see how unemployment places someone in a state of self discovery and a point of no return at the same time. These tools propel one towards a great direction when they choose to, and thus become greater versions of themselves. That is not a guarantee at the same time, especially when nothing is being done. Doing nothing is killing time,an act which violates the well known ethic: that one's time should be spent in purposeful activity and not wasted.
