Tomhas na Teanga

May/June 2007

Tá post agam. I have a job. Post laethúil is ea é, le comhlacht mór. It’s a daily job, with a big company. Níl sé in oifig an phoist, ámh. It is not in the post office, however. Tá cairde agam agus níl aon phost acu le tamall. I have friends who haven’t had a job for a while. Tá siad dí-fhostaithe. They are unemployed. Má tá post ag duine, ní minic a dhéanann sé machnamh air, má tá sé sásta leis. If a person has a job, he [he/she/they – ‘duine’ is masculine so I’m using ‘he’] doesn’t often think about it, if he is happy with it. Déantar talamh slán de. It’s taken for granted. Ach is cuimhin le gach duine fostaithe cé chomh deacair agus a bhíonn sé chun post nua a fháil. But every employed person remembers how difficult it is to get a new job. Bíonn mórán oibre le déanamh. There’s always a lot of work to do. Ní mór achoimre nó CV a scríobh, go minic. A resume or curriculum vitae needs to be written, often. Ní mór dul faoi agallaimh nó scrúduithe. Often there are interviews or tests to go through. Mura mbeidh tú ag obair do dhaoine eile, ní mór duit pleananna a dhéanamh, agus mórán a fhoghlaim faoin ngnó atá ar intinn agat. If you aren’t going to work for other people, you must make plans, and lear a lot about the business you have in mind. Go minic, bíonn cabhair de dhíth ó dhaoine eile atá ina saineolaithe. Often, help is needed from people who are experts.

Ag tosú ar phost nua ar bith, bíonn sé riachtanach do dhuine mórán nua a fhoghlaim. Starting any new job, it is required of a person to learn a lot. Ní bhíonn sé éasca i gcónaí. It is not always easy. Cuireann sé frustrachas ar dhuine, de ghnáth. It frustrates a person, usually. Ach de réir a chéile, le cúnamh Dé, téitear i dtaithí ar an obair. But little by little, with God’s help, one becomes accustomed to the work. Tar éis tamaill, cheapfaí go bhfuil an duine nua-fhostaithe ag an bpost céanna le fada, agus éiríonn sé go maith leis. After a while, it would be thought that the newly employed person is at the job for a long time, and he does very well. Tús maith, leath na hoibre, a deirtear. A good start is half the work, it is said. Agus ochtó faoin gcéad den rath, sin an teacht i láthair, mar a dúirt Woody Allen. And 80% of success is showing up, as W.A. said. Is é an misneach an rud is tábhachtaí, b’fhéidir, pé rud nua a dhéanaimid. The most important thing is courage, perhaps, whatever new thing we do.

Ó am go ham, éiríonn sé ar dhuine go ndearna sé botún, agus socraíonn sé ar phost nua eile a fháil. From time to time, it occurs to a person that he made a mistake, and he decides to get another new job. Ansin, ní mór dó tosú as an nua, den athuair. Then, he has to start from scratch for the second time. Ach is fearr sin ná fanacht ag post dona. But that is better than staying in a bad job. Agus nuair a éiríonn duine in aois, ní mór dó socrú ar an uair a éireoidh sé as a phost, chun bheith ina phinsinéir. And when a person gets older, he needs to decide on the time he will retire, to be on a pension. Uaireanta, ní bhíonn an rogha sin ann, agus tá an uair sin socraithe ag an gcomhlacht. Sometimes, that choice does not exist, and that time is decided by the company. Cé chomh deas agus atá an saoirse, is deacair athrú mar sin a dhéanamh, go minic. However nice the freedom is, it is difficult to make a change like that, often. Ach nuair a dhúnann Dia doras, osclaíonn Sé fuinneog, mar a deirtear. But when God closes a door, he opens a window, it is said. Agus is gaire cabhair Dé ná an doras. And God's help is closer than the door.

Fiú don té nach féidir leis obair, mar gheall ar a shláinte nó mar gheall ar thimpiste éigin, bíonn an tosach nua ann. Even the one who can’t work because of his health or because of some accident, there’s a new beginning. Tugann cás mar sin seans do dhuine rudaí áirithe a dhéanamh, nach raibh indéanta gan na fadhbanna sin. A case like that gives a person a chance to do certain things, which weren’t do-able without those problems. Go minic, tagann gaois agus tuiscint níos fearr ar an saol astu. Often wisdom and a better understanding of the world come out of them.

Is iomaí duine óg atá ag fáil céime am seo na bliana, agus atá ag tosú ar shaol nua, agus ag iarraidh post a fháil. There’s many a young person who is getting a degree this time of year, and starting on a new life, and trying to get a job. Uaireanta, tá a fhios ag comhlachtaí áirithe fúthu cheana féin, mar gheall ar an obair mhaith a rinne siad ar scoil. Sometimes, companies already know about them, because of the good work they did in school. I gcásanna eile, níl aon fhios ag an duine óg cén saghas oibre a bheadh cóir dó. In other cases, the young person has no idea what kind of work would be suitable for him. Tá comhairle de dhíth air. He needs advice. Deirtear gurb é an rud is fearr agus is tábhachtaí do dhuine mar sin ná caint le mórán daoine eile, agus comhairle agus smaointe úra a fháil. It is said that the best and most important thing for a person like that is to talk with a lot of other people, and to get advice and fresh ideas.

Nuair a bhí mé óg agus céim úr agam ón ollscoil, is mar sin a bhí mise. When I was young with a fresh degree from college, that’s how I was. Ní raibh sé praiticiúil dom obair mar cheoltóir nó chumadóir, cé gur breá liom na rudaí sin. It wasn’t practical form me to work as a musician or a composer, even though I love those things. Agus an céim a fuair mé, ní bhfuair mé post go díreach mar gheall ar an ábhar de amháin. And the degree that I got, I didn’t get a job exactly because of it’s subject only. Ach bhí sé an-tábhachtach go raibh an céim agam, mar sin féin. But it was very important that I had the degree, jus the same. Blianta ó shin, d’aistrigh mé mo shlí bheatha go huile is go hiomlán. Years ago, I changed my career totally and completely. Chuaigh mé ar ais ar scoil le tréimhse ghearr, agus fuair mé post nua mar gheall air sin. I went back to school for a short time, and I got a new job on account of that. Bíonn athruithe deacair. Changes are difficult. Ach bíonn siad riachtanach, go minic. But they are necessary, often. Agus bíonn ár saolta níos fearr mar gheall orthu, den chuid is mó. And our lives are better because of them, for the most part. Bíodh misneach agaibh! Be brave! Agus bígí buíoch as a bhfuil agaibh. And be grateful for all you have.