Sunday sandwich or how sometimes mistakes are OK

We all make mistakes. 

I made a mistake this week when I thought I removed a roast from the freezer only to figure out after it thawed that it was beef tenderloin scraps. Mental note: buy butcher paper for proper wrapping and dating of frozen meats.

This was a minor mishap in the grand scheme of dinner plans. I turned those steak tips into steak sandwiches. I even had some mushrooms I'd sautéed the day before in the fridge and brioche buns in the pantry. Some fresh mozzarella slices and dinner was served. 

Leftovers of this dinner became the brunch sandwich pictured above: hamburger buns leftover from a cookout last night were toasted, a slice of Colby jack cheese and some soft scrambled eggs and a delightful late morning meal was had by both.

I can almost always turn a miscalculation in the kitchen into something tasty and most of the time I can even pretend I meant to do that. That's a talent I lack with some of my bigger life choices.

These past few days, I started to wonder if leaving my job in search of a dream was a good decision. Did I make a big mistake? Did I overestimate my value? Did I jump from a very safe, very lackluster job with security and a 401K into an abyss of perpetual unemployment?

Are there really mistakes that cannot be covered with cheese? 

Lack of success in my job search has left me a little discouraged. As much as I try to find the magic keywords in my resume to curry the favor of application tracking systems, it's been a bust so far.

I cannot seem to even get a call for an interview. I am not attractive to algorithms, apparently.

Still, I landed a small freelance gig this week and tomorrow I am spending the day doing volunteer web content writing for a nonprofit.  I will be traveling the next two weeks to Florida and New York, working on a marketing project and learning more about content creation from experts.

The thing is, I am really enjoying this time right now, even if I am not successful in winning the attention of hiring managers. Sure, having all my online applications be treated like the ugly girl who the computer bouncer won't let into the club is a little ego-bruising, but maybe it's what I need.

Maybe if no one else will give me a chance, I will have to make my own chance.

Today I am working on a mood board for this blog. What visual style do I want? How can engage readers while finding my voice and expressing my point of view? What can I bring to an already crowded party of lifestyle blogs? Can I turn my vision of a Central-Ohio based website about food and dining and wellness and travel into my job? 

For now I may put a pin in the endless process of online applications until I feel like I have more REAL words to add to that resume from skills that I honed on my own and accomplishments earned by my hard work as a freelancer and content creator.

I don't want to trick my way past the application tracking systems, I want to make them stand up and pay attention. Or maybe I can get to the point in my career that all the HR wonks who won't even look at my application can just look elsewhere.

Maybe it's not a mistake to be my own boss for a while.