What must the neighbours think?

The social perils of freelance life

[zCat]

Walking out of my apartment building today, I met a neighbour, a very nice older lady, who'd kindly looked after our mailbox while we were away for a few days, and had just returned from work, I'm not quite sure what but it involves getting up very early.

I wished her a very hearty "good morning", and she gave me a very strange look.

It took me a few seconds to realise it was way past 2pm.

I wonder how long it'll take her to ask us what we actually do for a living, especially now she's seen the very odd mix of mail I and my GF get.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

I am sure that some of my neighbours think I am unemployed. Some of my friends also find it hard to grasp that I am fully employed at home. On one occasion a friend of mine asked me to walk his dog when he was on night shift because I was at home all day!

I am writing this at 00.30 and I have been working my butt of all day :(

[Rachel]

On one occasion a friend of mine asked me to walk his dog when he was on night shift because I was at home all day!

I have a bricks and mortar business, and people STILL ask/expect me to be able to run their errands during the day. <roll eyes>

[sonjay]

I don't have many neighbors, but of the ones I do have... I don't think any of them have "regular" jobs either. We're an odd little enclave out here. My neighbors know what I do for a living, but I don't think they really understand.

[ncreegan]

My schedule between school and working at the office brings me home at strange times -- such that most people figure the house is abandoned, which is nice, for me.

[phantombookman]

The people in two of the houses across the road from me actually thought for years I was a drug dealer!

It was eventually cleared up when one of the guys nervously approached me in the local pub!
His reason was, I never seem to do any work, live in a big house and drive a black Benz.

Amusingly his hand was actually shaking when he first approached, when I told him what I actually did his relief was palpable.

[pageoneresults]

lol! My neighbors think I'm semi-retired and that I'm in recluse. Some refer to me as Howard.

[abbeyvet]

I am waiting for the day when some neighbour approaches my partner (in life, not work) and asks him for a 'quiet word'.

Most of my local clients seem to be men, so reasonably often a car draws up, a man enters, stays for maybe an hour or two and then leaves, thanking me profusely at the door as he does.

This never happens when either my partner or our son are here because, obviously, I schedule these meetings when they are at work/school.

So, what would you think?

[oneguy]

Mine must think I'm unemployed, but they know I'm not broke.

[shallow]

Most of my local clients seem to be men, so reasonably often a car draws up, a man enters, stays for maybe an hour or two and then leaves, thanking me profusely at the door as he does.....

.....So, what would you think?

Difficult to say since you didn't acutally tell us what kind of work you really do! ;-) :P

[Essex_boy]

ROFL.

I once got a really odd look from a neighbour on seeing leave for work one morning, for me it late at around 10am Im often gone by about 6 am.

Thought about it and guessed he imagined I was unemployed - Some what dumb as he never would see me around teh apartment block.

[Pfui]

I'm not sure what my neighbors think (and I'm not sure I want to know...) but I do find myself slipping what I do into infrequent conversations at our mailboxes:

"Commute rough tonight? Sorry. Mine? Oh, well, I commute just down the hall to my computer."

(Yeah, that sounds stupid when I say it, too.)

Thing is, casual variations akin to "I work on the computer" are awkward. And the whips-and-chains'esque "Webmaster" is an odd word to a layman -- and being female tends to confuse the reference even further.

So most of the time I just mention my free time work and say, "I sell on eBay." That gets a knowing nod, and a smile, and is usually a pleasant convo-starter rather than an abrupt ender. Plus it explains away any odd-hour sleep patterns and comings and goings... Or so I hope:)