Knowledge is Power...

...It's the power to make other people feel stupid.

   That was in a cartoon I saw on the Internet this morning.  At first I chuckled, but then it got me thinking.  That joke rings horribly true more often than not.

   I love learning new things.  I think knowledge is a wonderful thing.  And at one time, I thought that if I knew something that somebody else didn't know, I would appear smarter.  But I gradually came to realize that sharing knowledge is even more powerful. 

   I've become a jack-of-all-trades (well, maybe not all, I'm still learning ;)), and I freely admit that I am a master of none.   When economy was going well, this was a boon.  However, when things got tougher in the economy, I wasn't so lucky.  I was laid off, and as I learned from different folks later on, HR departments are often more interested in trimming the workforce (fewer dollars dished out as payroll can make the revenues seem better, thus more attractive to investors), and finding more reasons to not hire a person that reasons to bring them on board.  

   It's been tough, but I've been able to get temporary work and have utilized my multi-talented skills to get callbacks and/or referrals based on my pleasant demeanor and willingness to take on whatever roles the business needs.  The temporary work has been great, although sometimes I have to go a while between jobs, which has become quite a challenge since I am the only one able to work in our family.

   I'm still optimistic that things will work out for us eventually.  And I'll keep on learning and sharing my knowledge as best I can, because I know that in the long run, helping people feel smarter will benefit everyone.