Reach Out – Chapter 4: The Void

Open and Relational Theology & Social Psychology

The 60-Second Read

The Problem: You are caught between jobs that create purpose. People in this space feel like they are in limbo. The old life is done, but the new one is only on the horizon. Apathy and depression set in as the adrenaline of the initial crisis fades.

The Insight: Everyone needs structure in their lives and a sense of purpose that accomplishes something. Structure is what keeps us afloat even in our down moments. When we lose our daily routines, our minds become clouded and our environments become chaotic.

The Action: Activity brightens our minds so that we can think clearly again. Sometimes, any little spark—a small task, a walk, or selling an old item—is enough to get us moving. You don’t have to solve the whole problem at once; you just have to break the inertia.

Chapter 4: The Void (The Neutral Zone)

Elias, wearing cutoff shorts and an undershirt, no shoes or socks, walked down the hall toward the kitchen and either stepped on shoes or kicked them out of the way. The living room had garments strewn over the furniture, left where they were removed. Empty cups, plates, and wrappers adorned the tables and floor.

Moments later, Elias came from the kitchen with toast and coffee, pushed clothing out of the way, and sat on the couch. Mary entered in a robe and house slippers and flopped down.

Mary looked around at the mess and sighed. “What’s wrong with us?”

Elias shrugged, indifferent.

Mary murmured, almost to herself, “A week ago you were so excited. You had ‘found yourself.’ You were passionately hunting for ‘systems architect’ jobs. What happened?”

“I couldn’t find any. I looked for jobs as close as I could get and sent resumes. They all specified a four-year college degree, but I ignored that in favor of extensive equivalent experience. So far, nothing.”

“Have you given up?”

“Not at all. Sometimes it takes weeks or even months for companies to pick candidates to interview. And sometimes those jobs don’t even exist yet; they are ‘forward-looking’ for when the company can expand, and it may never happen. In the meantime, I’m just up in the air. Nothing to do except sit here and cry into my beer.”

“And nothing for me to do except be fearful and nag you. Isn’t this just the best situation ever.”

“You don’t even make jokes anymore,” Sarah shouted from the kitchen. “It’s like you’re not even you. I miss the old you. Is the new ‘systems architect’ you a humorless lump of clay?”

“Things will turn around,” Elias said drearily without cracking a smile.

“Dr. Sarah thinks you’re depressed.” She wandered into the living room.

“Well, we’re wallowing in our misery, and that’s a sure recipe for depression,” Elias replied.

“Mom, we have so many dishes dirty in the sink, I can’t even make a sandwich. And we don’t have pancakes for breakfast anymore.”

“Put some of that youthful energy to work cleaning up the kitchen. I have the evening shift at work today.”

“I’m bored. I don’t have any money to do anything with. Everything costs money. Everything!”

“It’s a simple choice, honey,” Elias began. “Eat or go out and spend money.”

“It might be better to starve.”

“We’re not starving with you,” Mary replied. “Even my job is getting irritating, seeing all those beautiful new decorative items I can’t have. But we all have to plow on.”

“Well, I’m tired of sitting here doing nothing.” Sarah ran upstairs.

Moments later she returned with her cheerleader outfits. “Which ones of these do you think would sell on eBay?” She threw them into a pile on the floor in front of her parents.

“You want to sell those? Those were expensive,” Mary objected.

“I won’t need them in college. They’re memorabilia now, and I can’t afford to be sentimental. Here is how this will work: I’ll split the money with you. You can buy us more food, and I can go out and have fun.”

She kicked the pile. “With the shoes, these probably cost $250.00. I could probably get a hundred. Maybe someone at my school will buy them.”

“They’ll probably change the uniform next year. Same colors, different design,” Elias countered. “That’s what they did to us.”

Sarah pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and dialed. “Hey, Jan, how are you?” Elias and Mary watched her, slack-jawed. They knew how much being on the cheer squad meant to her.

“Great. You know what, I just thought I’m never going to wear these cheerleader costumes again. I’ll get middle-aged and fat, and they’ll just sit at the back of my closet mocking me. Would you like to buy them? They cost over $250 and I’ll part with them for a hundred.”

Sarah smiled at her parents. “Make it ninety? Perfect, I’ll bring them over.”

Sarah looked at the two of them sitting there, glum and disheveled. “Let’s all go for a walk in the park. It’s free.”

“Okay,” Elias groaned and rose. “You know, if you had said 120, she would have settled for 100.”

“Never satisfied,” she laughed.

Later that day, Mary and Sarah cleaned the kitchen. Elias puttered around in the garage and looked for jobs on his computer. He came into the living room just as Mary was leaving for work. “I just thought of something. I’m a good investigator. Maybe I could offer my services to law firms.”

Mary brightened. “Yeah. Yeah, I think that could work. Go for it.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and left.

Elias sat back down at his desk and began looking at law firms within a hundred miles.