Several things in life can be casual. Clothing, relationships, your attitude towards politics or Sushi.

The most casual thing in mine has been my work history, and when I mean casual, I’m not talking about the ease and simplicity of it, I’m talking about the contract. I have spent my entire working life on a ‘casual contract’. In fact, my phone contract has been the only piece of paper I have ever signed with any real commitment of time to it, and even that took me a few years to build up enough credit history to have it in my name. I also didn’t have an actual signature until I was 21 and realised that any bastard could forge my basic seal of authenticity. That, however, is all about change, or so I hope. Two major things are about to take place:

1: I am going to exchange on a flat. I will have a mortgage. I will own a home. Prang.

2: I now have a ‘proper’ job for which I am set to receive my full time contract.

Big movements out here.

One issue however, is that my arrogant manager is attempting to lord over me for a further three months by extending my probation. Purely because he thinks I’m some kind of mug who will take the fall for his mistakes.

Am I a mug though?

No.

I have appealed (even though the company I work for doesn’t have an ‘official’ appeal process for me, the lowly worker) and am fighting to get my newly improved signature down on paper not only cos if I lose this job I risk losing the home I have spent a year of being gazumpt to find, but also because, to be blunt, I am not fucking having it.

Now I could rant about this moron for days but he gets enough air-time as it is. Instead, I’m gonna do a run down of my top 10 (there’s actually 11. Don’t clock the double 8) casual jobs so you can get a casual picture of the casual journey I have been on since I was 17. Illustrated by my casual sketches.

1: Casually ran the guest list with my mate Sarah for Fresh n Funky club night even though we were underage (China Whites, Funky Buddha, Ten Room. Back when raving in the West was the best)

2: Casual worker for childcare agency. Casually hated this.

3: Casual bar staff for Gastro pub with my casual mate Selena.

4: Casual front of house usher at a theatre. Casually promoted to casual supervisor.

5: Casual exams invigilator. At the college where I casually sat my A Levels.

6: Casual call centre for a casual ticket company.

7: Casual ‘casual’ for said ticket company working various casual jobs including front of house, reception and despatch. For a casual 6 years on and off.

8: Casually removed paperclips and rubber bands from documents heading for the shredder. In a windowless basement. For £6.95 per hour. With my casual mate Dave. For a casual two months.

8: Casually drove a flower delivery van for a casual two weeks. That turned in to a casual two years.

9: Casually developed and ran a music therapy workshop for young people. Casually loved this. Which casually lead me to number 10 (on my list).

10: Casually currently managing a project for at risk young people and NEETS. Casually not casual.

So, here I am, on the cusp of becoming a non-casual employee, after a casual 13 years of being ‘casual’.

There really is a lot riding on the next few weeks…

How am I feeling??

Casual.