Actor Leslie Nielsen was right: "Doing nothing is very hard to do ... you never know when you're finished." So I kept active. I walked (for free), cycled (with friends), recycled (old teaching notes) and volunteered (children's after-school programme). There were also days when I drifted along in a mental wasteland. For almost three months I had no paid work.
It took nine months to find my current role with Len. My first paying gig was on election day, issuing and counting votes, although I take no responsibility for the current Government.
I've never considered myself a practical chap, yet I found myself doing stuff. Like weeding, mowing lawns, digging holes, building retainer walls, laying pavers, directing traffic. Using equipment like a weed-eater, a compacter and post hole borer. Fortunately I had a break from this hard labour with adult literacy tutoring on Tuesday afternoons.
There's something about working. It's not just the money. My library pay is 20 per cent less than tutoring employment skills. But employees rank their pay packet below factors such as recognition and praise, respect and trust, a sense of achievement, opportunities for growth.
That's why I took on those hands-on tasks. I also did them because I could. Working was about getting up, getting moving, getting involved. It was about hanging in there until I could find employment more suited to me.
• Gene Nicolson, of Warkworth, has previously been a teacher, administrator, youth worker, sales representative and a bank officer.