Yup....I am...!
Been doing so for a long time now...
All my ex's used to take mine...
They called it "borrowing"...or "temporarily using"...or "trading"
That situation has been going on most of my life....

Oops ...
You said "trading socks" right?

N900 screens are too small to read without telescopes anymore for me...

Ahh...good to see you!

Trading sock...yes. Sometimes it would probobly been a safer investment. Are you sure you invested in the right socks ? I bet no one wants to borrow or temporary using some good old socks



What do you call yourself, like occupation? What do you tell people when they asking: what do you do for a Living?

When people ask me "what do I do for a living"
I find it to be an invasive question...
Usually asked by those who are never satisfied with any answer...
And the same people I usually have no desire in conversing with in the first place...their reasons and machinations for asking such ...are distasteful to me...
So I usually respond with...
"Air ...water...food ...and shelter ...any way I can get them..."
That's the basic requirement it takes for "living", I am given to understand...
And that usually shuts such people up...
If it doesn't ...then I get more pointed in my response.

If however the individual is guileless...
Then I list all that I have done.. am doing.. or will probably end up doing again ...to make ends meet...
Since I see all work as truly transitory in nature...and have for a long time now...
All work being nothing but a transition from one type or kind of work ...to another...hopefully better position...or career...
And "better " is a transitory word...
Which has meant better money...
Or better hours...
Or more hours...
Or fewer hours...
Or more responsibility ...
Or less...

the list of work I do on the side...
The "9-5" I also do..
And my own personal work..
Well...would end up filling a book...

Expounding on all that from a single question....
If I don't answer...it makes it seem like either I am insulted or ashamed of all that I do...
If I do answer...
It is very hard to keep it all to a simple answer..
And so seems like I am absorbed with myself...
Sadly ...it isn't much of a win win ...more of a lose lose social scenario...

For 3 decades + I have made a generous living being an artisan and artist...first and foremost...
During which time.. had its ups and downs like any business...
And would either hire my skills out on the side for extra coin to top up my bank account...
Or not...
Never restricted myself to not learning something new...
Which has led me down interesting paths..
Now...
I find that the balance of the musical instrument building...carving and art I have enjoyed doing and still do...is secondary to the enjoyment of working in a high security restricted access environment...
I do find that to be rather exciting work...
Been doing it for a long time now...
It gets me out of the studio and social....
And believe me...
Give it a few years of working by oneself ...
With no interaction...and it wears after a while..

Consequently since working in such an environment ...
I got saddled with a position which is quite cushy...
In a job for life...
Hell most of my peers...are in their 80's
Retired military or federal police...
Great guys...fascinating individuals..
Couldn't luck out on better work comrades....
And the work allows me my studio time...
Which I must have...

Now.. so taken with the field...
I am in the process of starting my own security firm...

It will be a far cry from what I do now....but I am intrigued with the field...

So what does one say to such a question as "what do you do for a living? "
For me...I can't live without making something in the studio...
I just start to wither if I don't ..
Need human interaction....or the same happens...
Money...is an easy thing....
Being content or happy ...that is the real work....

So best answer that is concise....is ..."I'm a Jack..."
As in ...Jack of ANY trade..."
Whatever I can do and get to keep me intrigued and happy...

Like Jack Sparrow and his magic compass...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6CfKcMhjY

I'm really impressed by that answer. Not at all what I expected. Must have been one of the longest and most well designed answer of TMO

I usully not read long posts but yours are always well written and intressting to read.

But sometimes you do have to answer that question when apply for visa or enter country. The you can't have such a long anwer.

State your intent to enter this country I have always found those question strange.

writing,
words,
ideas and concepts...and the list goes on...
they are interesting...

I know some do not care for my writing...
others find it at times erratic...
or almost downright hallucinogenic...

do I write for a hobby?
that is a good question too...
can't say I write for a hobby...
not in the sense a hobby is..I guess.

when I was young....as in very young.
I dug through every study I could get my hands, eyes, and ears and brain wrapped around.
didn't matter.
exoteric....esoteric...philosophy...theology....la nguages...sciences...and the arts. as far back as written word goes anyway..
looking ...
discarding the obvious garbage..
setting aside the things that made no sense...marking them..for future perusal ...for the moment that they did make sense...
when something came to the fore that illuminated the reasoning and through said "lens" most definitely made sense then...

good primers on words...
that lead one down a road... one cannot ever "un-know"...
and enrich the heart and mind ...most certainly...
are the works of professor MacAlister...to name one...
especially such works of his as the "secret languages of Ireland"

and of course...the great Robert Graves...and his work...
the least of which being "the white goddess"

and there are others...

that ..at the least ....answer old questions ...old riddles...
that make for a full, content and happy heart ..and even more inquisitive mind..

definitely I can suggest "the white goddess" as one of the most intriguing reads in my library...
an excellent treatise on words..writing...poetry...and how such things came about for our species....and a great deal more...
his understanding of ..words ...and their effect...are indeed worth the reading...

I bought some stock in Tesco last weekend. Vegetable. Used it to cook some steak in a pressure cooker. You can live on it quite nicely.

Not sure why but it seems like you are getting a bunch of silly answers. My best advice on trading stocks, that is factual based, is to buy low and sell high. It always works for me. People I know that do the opposite always lose money. Hope that helps!

Indeed. I knew a guy once who bought for 3 <currency units> and sold for 4 and, in his own words, "I can live quite well on that one percent."

I can give you an advice. Invest in alcohol. Where else can you get 40%?