A Slice of Working at Home

I work at home. Many people still couldn’t get what that means. I’m tired of explaining. Now, I just let them think whatever they want to think and not give a damn. Oh, how life has become simpler since then.

Working at home, in squatting position, in front of TV and with kids running all around

Neighbors thought I work nights somewhere. That’s because they see me at home during the day, wearing shorts and tending my garden. My eyes go up each time someone mentions I work nights. But I have learned to cope with the punishment by saying, “Yeah! See you around.”

One morning, a neighbor who operates a store called my wife. The neighbor was following up the empty family-sized soft drink bottles (Yeah, I still live in this kind of neighborhood – when you buy soft drinks, you’re expected to return the empty bottle). So I sprang up from bed at 9am, went to the store and explained to the neighbor that I already returned the bottles two weeks earlier.

The neighbor later called my wife to apologize. She said she should have been mindful that I worked nights. She felt guilty that I had to go to her before going to bed.

Duh! I told my wife to tell the neighbor it was ok. I was used to it.

It’s not that I want to hide the fact that I work at home with my laptop all day (and night, oh yes). Letting them think what they think makes life much simpler.

They think I work nights? Fine. You see, they do see me leave home once a week at 5pm. Do I have to explain to them that I attend a Rotary Club meeting? I have the right, but not the obligation, to tell them that, right?

(Whow! Saying that felt good. I saw that line in the Terms and conditions of Clickbank.)

I mean, what would they really expect me to say? “No, I’m just going to the Rotary meeting. I don’t work nights.” They would certainly follow that up by asking, “Oh, is that so? Where do you work these days?”

Even if I would be honest to them and tell them I’m a Virtual Worker, it doesn’t help! It has happened before and someone would certainly ask again, “What’s a Virtual Worker?” Then I have to explain again. Before I know it, I’m late for my appointment.

So, not anymore.

When somebody sympathetically greets me on the street at 5pm with, “Going to work?” I now always say, “Yeah! See you around.” With that, they’re happy and I’m happy.