A younger friend and I had an interesting discussion yesterday. B is a 40-something truck driver. He’s been divorced and remarried; and he and his wife have a long distance relationship and it works for them. She runs a small maid/cleaning company and other than church social functions… she never stops either. She is always on the go. When he gets home the first thing he does is call me to set up a range trip… the old lady is usually working on his days off, and outside of work, he doesn’t have much to do. He talks my ear off because he gets lonely on the road and just wants someone to listen while he prattles. He spends so much time on the road… sometimes he gets explosive verbal diarrhea and if you’re too close to him when he blows… you’re liable to get some on ya, if ya catch my drift.
So yesterday he calls while I’m down in the Reclusium working on advanced aeronautics. B calls me on the cell, and I know the drill. He starts talking and I put the phone on speaker, and leave it on the corner of the work bench as he erupts. He started with a lecture on guns and reloading (I have been doing both for 30 years plus - he just got his first gun last fall and now he is an expert). I agree, and say ‘yep’ and ‘sure’ when I am supposed to. I feel my own guts rumble, so I go upstairs for a 40 minute dump. When I come back down B is still droning on and I start agreeing again. I am pondering a design change on the ugly stick - maybe going for dual servos on the ailerons and programming the TX radio to run them as flaperons. It’s do-able but may involve more weight aft of the CG… and on the phone, B is now on to his retirement plans. One day he is going to quit driving the truck, hang up the keys… and start making REAL money with his own small business. I agree that he has the future figured right out.
“I am never gonna retire,” he said. “I am the kind a guy that has to be doing things! My time has to matter! I can’t just sit in the basement twiddling my thumbs and building model airplanes…” I choked and gagged as I tried to stifle the laughter that almost spilled out. “What was that…?” He asked. “Nothing, B, I just knocked my square off the bench along with other stuff - keep going, i can pick this stuff up while we’re talking…” Bruce goes back to prattling about his grandiose retirement plans.
I like B and his wife. They kinda remind me of my wife and I as we were 10 or 12 years ago. But in my heart, deep down, I know he is probably not going to go much beyond driving a truck in life. Some poor life decisions they had made, along with bad luck have conspired against them as it has for many. B and his wife are movers and I don’t think they could truly slow down and relax even if they wanted to. But whadda I know? Maybe B will get his business off the ground and realize his life dreams. And maybe the economy will pick up, and the jobs will come back and I will get out of the basement and get a passable job with a reputable employer that actually gives a shit about his employees?
For now… given the lunatics in charge at the moment… that basement is not really a bad place to be. But maybe B is right? I’d rather be working… but the jobs open now are mostly scut labour positions with companies that are so awful, they can’t retain their people even in a recession.
I’ll eventually figure something out.
Repeat after me: Not my monkey.... Not my shitshow....
ReplyDeleteYou are better off staying out of the fray if you can afford it.
The thing is, it's not either/or.
ReplyDeleteYou can spend some time learning a new skill/trade in that time you spend watching 'entertainment'. You can find a 'side hustle' that provides an income, and that you can use to build a getaway fund.
I'm currently retired. Both my husband and I spent too much time apart, so one priority, for me, was to find something I could do from home, with access to the internet. I finally decided on health care insurance sales (Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare). It's not for everyone - a LOT of online updates every year, continuing education, and the like. But, it's not that bad, and it allows me some freedom, and a way to bypass a lot of B$ when you work for others.
I would suggest that there are MANY things a person could do to allow them to step off the work treadmill. But, the most important part is what my husband and I did BEFORE we retired - we moved to a no-debt lifestyle. Paid off all credit, own our cars without a payment, and only owe on our house - which, as we have replaced it with a cheaper house nearer family, will be paid off with the equity we get when we cash in our first house sometime next year (my husband is staying behind for now, and emptying it out and making repairs/upgrades in preparation for the sale).
We have multiple income sources (altogether, between us, 5 teachers' pensions (2 full, 3 partial), Social Security, and investments. And, my husband still enjoys part time sub jobs.
Now, this wasn't all that quick, or even easy. We've never gone on a cruise. We don't own the latest cars. Our homes are modest.
But, we have freedom. That's worth a lot more.
The thing is, most people would rather complain, than to do anything about their problems.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I did that years ago Linda. We blew away our debts, and banked cash and laid in preps like crazy. Assuming our economy doesn't collapse, I could probably retire now with a very modest retirement. A small side hustle is a great idea IF you can make it pay. Up here, Turdo La Doo and his commie sidekicks absolutely HATE small business and they tax the hell out of it. Lord help you if you have to hire help - in today's Canada, you can't fire a stoned pothead at work if his marijuana is deemed medicinal. Lord help you if you hire a wahman, or some vibrant sexual degenerate or race whore... because they are protected noble classes too.
ReplyDeleteWe are in full recession here in Alberta right now, and wages are so low, and profit margins are so slim... it literally isn't worth going to work! Most employment open to me won't even cover gas and car expenses. A lot of people have no idea how bad things are here. The fact is, if my bills weren't paid, and I didn't have any savings - I would have walked away from this socialist utopia years ago. Maybe that is all just bitter complaining... but there are lots of folks that see things the same way I do.
I will look into avenues that allow me to work from home though... that could be interesting. I know for a fact that I have had my fill of working in vibrant and diverse workplaces.