Inbetween Days

Posted on 2006/10/13 05:04:22 (October 2006).

[Tuesday 10th October]
The title for this entry comes from a song on a Ben Folds EP I recently download from iTunes. It's a cover of that song by The Cure which should be immediately familiar to anyone who was in the UK during that era. I'm generally not much of a fan of "Golden Oldies" - in fact I think a lot of old music ought to be just allowed to die gracefully. However, despite never having been particularly into The Cure, the Ben Folds version of this song has really got itself lodged in my head this week.

I have to admit to not having listened to the lyrics all that carefully, but instead have derived my own understanding for what the title - Inbetween Days - means. In fact it seems to have current relevance on two fronts.

In the first instance, when I write this blog, whilst I write an entry for every day, it's usually done in a lump of several days at a time, typically when I'm not so busy, like at the weekends. It is often surprisingly difficult by the end of the week to look back and remember what I did each day. Some days will stand out - typically the days when I've gone out in the evening, or, like this week, things like national holidays. However, when days fall into the standard pattern of work in the daytime, then wiling away the time doing nothing-in-particular at home in the evening, then it's almost as if those days didn't happen. They're just gaps where I'm just killing time until I actually do something interesting, something worth writing about. The title "Inbetween Days" seems to fit these sorts of days very well.

Today was one of those Inbetween Days - the previous day had been a national holiday so we'd had a nice day out, and the following day I went out for the evening. Today though I just went to work, then went home afterwards and did nothing-in-particular. It was a dull day buffering two (at least slightly) interesting ones. Yea, of course, you can't expect your life to be interesting 100% of the time, but in a sense the whole day really might just as well have not happened at all. Perhaps this never really occurs to some people, but I think it's a side effect of keeping a diary/blog - I seem to end up rating each day on a scale of how memorable it was. Today wasn't memorable at all.

In a wider sense the concept of Inbetween Days could be taken as a metaphor for my current situation. I'm sure everyone experiences that same sense when you're in the process of changing jobs (and in my case changing homes and countries too), working out your notice period, with your eyes on the horizon. It's a sensation a bit like treading water, once you've decided you don't want to be in a particular place any more, a lot of what goes on around you becomes a bit of a blur - it's not really relevant to you any more, and you're just biding your time until you can leave for the next place.

Hopefully I'll be signing the contract for the new job within this week, from which point I'll have left the current place mentally, but there's still some treading water to do until I can leave physically.

Hmmm...well sorry it's a bit of a waffley and insubstantial entry today, I guess I'm obviously in a very reflective sort of mood!

Yeah, Inbetween Days is a good way to describe those days between weekends when all that usually stands out is a dissatisfaction with work! I have a good laugh with some of my colleagues, and I "click" with one or two clients, which at least makes the daily grind bearable. Otherwise, unless we find ourselves in jobs which are really fun, Inbetween Days aptly describes days which are generally just "padding"!! :)

Posted by Nigel at 2006/10/13 07:19:53.

Inbetween Days are necessary to fill up the "normal" spaces between days where something happens. The long wait before leaving a company is good, it gives your brain time to reload (although it might not feel that way), in order to start the new venture (or should I say ADventure) with all you mental powers at max. When you realize that you are actually living an inbeteen day I think it's the worst feeling, it seems that you are wasting time etc etc... but later you come to appreciate it...

Posted by Lox at 2006/10/13 09:07:28.

One frustrating side effect of the notice period situation is that I've become a victim of my own good nature. I felt some sense of obligation to leave at a good point in the current project, so as not to leave the other people on my team in a difficult situation. So I suggested a whopping great 3 month notice period, whereas I could certainly have just made it 1.

My next company have been very flexible, and were quite happy to postpone my start date until January which I thought was great.

However, now on dreary days at the office I start thinking that I've got my next job more or less sorted out already - at any point I could, in theory, just say I can't do the whole 3 month notice period after all and curtail it to just 1 month from today. With (hopefully) the security of another job to go to in January. The extra month off would be worth far more to me than the peanuts I'd earn during that time.

Oh well, I suppose I've made my bed now... just sometimes I wish I was a bit more of a heartless git.

Posted by John at 2006/10/13 09:51:39.

Ah, that's because you are the classic "Decent Chap", and apart from a select few, there don't seem many left!!

And look to the positive. Leaving this way means no doors have actually been closed firmly against you should future circs dictate.... (or something!) :):)

Posted by Nigel at 2006/10/13 10:25:32.

Nigel is right, look at the fact that you might need to take a look into that door in the future, or maybe they will come back at you in some years to headhunt you again and cover you with a gazzillion dollar wage...

As for wasting time, take it easy, I felt quite well in the last month of my previous work, I was relaxed and managed to do things with great calm... It's a good feeling!

Posted by Lox at 2006/10/13 11:49:57.

Post a comment