What I do

I listen to people's problems all day long on the phone.

I work as a call-center telephone counselor.

Amazingly, I am able to do this job from home. I am linked to my office by phone and computer, so it is not uncommon for me to wake up at 7:45 a.m. and be at work (one floor below where I sleep) at 7:59 a.m., ready to take that first call of the day.

The call could be a crisis call -- my first call of the day on Saturday was a woman saying she was so depressed she was thinking of stepping out in front of an 18-wheeler. We got her husband on the line, and he took her to the hospital.

Or, the next call could be somebody calling a wrong number, thinking they have reached the line for activitating their new debit card.

And I never know whether the next call is going to take me 15 seconds or 45 minutes....so I better have my bottle of water nearby and my bladder adequately serviced!

OK, my 15-minute break is over. I need to get ready for my next call.