Interminable Pain In The Bicuspids

My life of late has taken on the character of the somewhat famous quote by George Orwell where he says that all creators of utopia resemble a man with a toothache, who thinks that happiness lies in not having a toothache.  The toothache in question for me is unemployment, and happiness would therefore then consist of employment.

But here is a question. Will any employment make the toothache better?

I have a job interview coming up, for a job that pays, I believe, $10 an hour.  If that number is correct, (and I hope it is not,) how does a married 43 year old man live on that?  He can’t, not in the real world anyway, I think.

Would a job that pays less than ½ of what I made a scant 2 years ago be enough to slough off the effects of this interminable pain in the bicuspids?   I honestly doubt it, but then again with the sweet-tooth that most people, myself included, have as far as money is concerned (holding this analogy together is like pulling teeth) it would amaze if just any job would suffice, even for someone as UN-fussy and hard-working as I am.  There are after all things that must be paid for.

Bills and rent alone, without a dime more spent, is over $1300 a month, and that is after successfully declaring bankruptcy.  Good lord, if I wanted to…I dunno… travel to a job, eat food, mail a payment to the dentist (don’t laugh, people do still do that, postage stamps aren’t just for Christmas cards and post cards) I would be unable to make ends meet on $10 an hour, $350 a week, $1400 a month before taxes.

So getting a job that pays $10 an hour would be just as self-destructive to both simple capacity to live, and domestic felicity, as it would make it impossible to better myself, because I would be busy at that crap paying job all the time just to keep afloat, and that would kill much of the joy that one wants to have at home.  Happiness is a secure place to lay ones head, just keeping head above water is not living “securely.”

And yet…

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Viddy of the day: Former Dell Worker Talks Unemployment.  I like this guy, straight talker, seems to be coming from much the same place that I am, in much the same position I’m in.  And seems that he’s had much the same experiences that I have, from the sound of it.  I wish you well brother, good luck on the hunt.

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Money, once again; all is money. All human relationships must be purchased with money. If you have no money, men won’t care for you, women won’t love you; won’t, that is, care for you or love you the last little bit that matters. And how right they are, after all! For, moneyless, you are unlovable.

George Orwell, Keep the Aspidistra Flying

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… is that $10 an hour job an entirely bad thing?  I need money coming in, so for as much as it would damage my capacity to improve my lot, and destroy what little chance I have to live the American dream, it would also bring in just enough to pay the rent and bills.  Barely.   Cash is what one needs to exist in this crass capitalist culture, and a very little is better than none at all.

And that very little would be without health insurance, or dental. With those impediments, and at $10 an hour health insurance is an impediment, at that pay rate my wife and I would not be able to live.  It’d be easier to live by stealing nuts from squirrels and eating tree bark.

Man, I hope these people hire me, and I hope they pay better than $10. I’m sick of this damn “toothache”.

Plus, tree bark tastes shitty.

lulz.

Oh, and the job? Assistant manager at a dollar store.  Srsly.  I have NO experience at this, but at this point, WTF? Why not?  If they don’t hire me, I’m back to square one.  The worst that happens if they do hire me? I end up working with crazy people?  Deal with customers, who, contrary to popular belief, are not always right, and are usually loud, smelly and stupid?  Have an evil boss?

Please.  I’ve been through that.

Remember I worked at law firms for 2 decades.   They should just rename all law firms “ASSHOLE FARMS”  Because they breed assholes, and dispense shit 24/7/365.

🙂

Assistant manager at the Dollar store shouldn’t be far from what I’m used to.  Wish me luck, or an unreasonable facsimile thereof.

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That’s it from here, America.  G’night.