Former Psychiatrist and award winning novelist M. Scott Peck's first line in his book The Road Less Traveled read:
"Life is difficult."
Especially so now, with the job market in the shape it's in. There are many of us who have been in our jobs for a very long time, and the very thought of having to start fresh some where new is almost incomprehensible. You just about have to get fired and have no choice but to face that reality before you can deal with it as a real thought.
But......What if you did? I have a good friend who is an hourly employee, looking at that bullet right now. We spoke on the phone for over an hour last night, discussing a meeting he's going to be having with his store manager later this morning. Basically, he snapped on a couple of his managers the other day; it went into a write up session during which he escalated things to the point where they sent him home for the week end. But during our talk, what scared me the most for him was that his general attitude hadn't changed at all. This guy as yet does not seem to grasp that he's maybe going to be fired today............From a job he's held for almost thirteen years. He revealed that his 401 K and stock options are in good shape, but that he has hardly enough in savings/checking to cover the next few months.
And that brings me full circle:
God forbid anything bad happen to ANY of your jobs.............But have you really considered the possibility? Yes? I have, too. This can happen to a n y o n e. No?
The older people that I work with always have this "I would rather be working than with my family" attitudes, have failed marriages, or are too busy saving to enjoy the life they already have. It's sad.
I'm here to make money... not have it control me. I love my time off. I wish I had more of it.
To answer your question... Not really but If anything it would just be such a pain.
[Edit:] If i get fired would you put me on a good word at the walmart? :D
-- Edited by BagBoy on Monday 17th of June 2013 01:51:24 PM
__________________
Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
It will be a traumatic event for your friend....whether he comprehends it immediately or gradually- but a meager 13 year 401K won't buy you a meal at Denny's when you're finally at retirement age- even though he will view this as a loss and a major setback, down the road he will see it as a the best thing that ever happened to him. Whenever I get the opportunity to coach a niece or nephew that is treading the dangerous waters of the unrewarding, frustrating, stressful world of retail work I try and tell them that even though they "like" their fast paced, multi-tasking job that it is no place to settle for your life's career. One thing they fail to comprehend is that companies really like to "USE" the young, high energy people who will run theirselves ragged and weary on a daily basis. When you're young working nights, weekends, holidays is no big deal but once you begin to have kids and a married life then it becomes a very big deal as you regularly miss out on quality time and key events because the almighty retail store demands u be there and available 24/7. It's incredibly easy to become a member of front line mgmt. as a dept. head or sub dept/backup- that's how you fall in the trap... you begin to make somewhat decent money compared to a clerk. BUT look around..how many older people do you see successfully making a decent living in retail? How many do you see that can maintain the physical fast pace required? How many are bone weary and just trying to survive until they can retire on a meager pension with no health benefits? If you see one then they are the exception and if the truth was known they wish the hell they had picked a long term adult, full-time career they can retire from before they turn 70 yrs. old.
And having to work for and be micro-managed by greenhorn co-managers who have their job because they attended college for 4-5 yrs and have a B.S. in BS.. oops I mean Business Mgmt. is the ultimate insult to your intelligence. Most co-managers quickly become disenchanted within 1-2 years when they realize they made a poor choice with a grocery/retail job. Many move on to better opportunities but those that stay either are too burdened by debt to jump ship or the occasional ego-tripping one that is too delusional about their future to move on. Of course the absolute worst ones- and they're are a lot of them- get their jollies by having power over people- especially ones twice their age(that actually do more by accident than they do on purpose!). These wannabe "mother superior types" love to roam around the store and assert their title and presence over an unmotivated, low morale, entry level workforce and especially like to critique long term, full time workers. I'm sure we will hear and read about many more folks who get fed up and snap- just do it with class and have an exit plan with a fair amount of FU money put back. Whether you move on to driving a truck, working at a factory, or learning a skilled trade- you will be better off and much less depressed/anxious about your future- plus you will get to work with adults and not be micro-managed by some brainwashed mgmt. with minimal common sense/experience.
It will be a traumatic event for your friend....whether he comprehends it immediately or gradually- but a meager 13 year 401K won't buy you a meal at Denny's when you're finally at retirement age- even though he will view this as a loss and a major setback, down the road he will see it as a the best thing that ever happened to him. Whenever I get the opportunity to coach a niece or nephew that is treading the dangerous waters of the unrewarding, frustrating, stressful world of retail work I try and tell them that even though they "like" their fast paced, multi-tasking job that it is no place to settle for your life's career. One thing they fail to comprehend is that companies really like to "USE" the young, high energy people who will run theirselves ragged and weary on a daily basis. When you're young working nights, weekends, holidays is no big deal but once you begin to have kids and a married life then it becomes a very big deal as you regularly miss out on quality time and key events because the almighty retail store demands u be there and available 24/7. It's incredibly easy to become a member of front line mgmt. as a dept. head or sub dept/backup- that's how you fall in the trap... you begin to make somewhat decent money compared to a clerk. BUT look around..how many older people do you see successfully making a decent living in retail? How many do you see that can maintain the physical fast pace required? How many are bone weary and just trying to survive until they can retire on a meager pension with no health benefits? If you see one then they are the exception and if the truth was known they wish the hell they had picked a long term adult, full-time career they can retire from before they turn 70 yrs. old.
And having to work for and be micro-managed by greenhorn co-managers who have their job because they attended college for 4-5 yrs and have a B.S. in BS.. oops I mean Business Mgmt. is the ultimate insult to your intelligence. Most co-managers quickly become disenchanted within 1-2 years when they realize they made a poor choice with a grocery/retail job. Many move on to better opportunities but those that stay either are too burdened by debt to jump ship or the occasional ego-tripping one that is too delusional about their future to move on. Of course the absolute worst ones- and they're are a lot of them- get their jollies by having power over people- especially ones twice their age(that actually do more by accident than they do on purpose!). These wannabe "mother superior types" love to roam around the store and assert their title and presence over an unmotivated, low morale, entry level workforce and especially like to critique long term, full time workers. I'm sure we will hear and read about many more folks who get fed up and snap- just do it with class and have an exit plan with a fair amount of FU money put back. Whether you move on to driving a truck, working at a factory, or learning a skilled trade- you will be better off and much less depressed/anxious about your future- plus you will get to work with adults and not be micro-managed by some brainwashed mgmt. with minimal common sense/experience.
Truck driving, yes....For all age/physicality/time & money invested in school for a new vocation/degree, that seems to be the best way to go.
Truck driving isn't exactly easy work either. I have an uncle who's a truck driver and the guy that runs the company makes any Kroger co-manager look like Mother Teresa in comparison.
The older people that I work with always have this "I would rather be working than with my family" attitudes, have failed marriages, or are too busy saving to enjoy the life they already have. It's sad.
I'm here to make money... not have it control me. I love my time off. I wish I had more of it.
To answer your question... Not really but If anything it would just be such a pain.
[Edit:] If i get fired would you put me on a good word at the walmart? :D
No, but I can think of at least one crack pimp who'd use you like a pig slough. Same?
-- Edited by BagBoy on Monday 17th of June 2013 01:51:24 PM
The older people that I work with always have this "I would rather be working than with my family" attitudes, have failed marriages, or are too busy saving to enjoy the life they already have. It's sad.
I'm here to make money... not have it control me. I love my time off. I wish I had more of it.
To answer your question... Not really but If anything it would just be such a pain.
[Edit:] If i get fired would you put me on a good word at the walmart? :D
-- Edited by BagBoy on Monday 17th of June 2013 01:51:24 PM
No, but I can think of at least one crack pimp who'd use you like a pig slough. Same?
WUT :(
__________________
Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
I think if you ONLY worked for ONE company, it might be harder because that's ALL you know about, but if like me, you've the pleasure/opportunity/good fortune to work for more than just one company over the years (union AND non-union), you've seen both sides of the fence. And sometimes you've had to work for more than one company (through no fault of your own), because the company downsized or just went out of business altogether. It makes you realize that things happen, nothing is totally permanent, you appreciate things more, and that anyone can fail, even if you are the best company in the world, or just work for one. And you do your job to the best of your ability, and sometimes that's still not enough. I get it. And you run yourself or your company runs itself into the ground. Been there, done that. I guess you have to go through a lot of different experiences to have perspective on things. Unless you've worked more than one job or worked for more than one company, it might be harder to see things from a different perspective, but you have to. You can appreciate your job and having a job, sure, but if you've seen businesses come and go, you realize that nothing lasts forever. Some people might go through life working for 7 or 8 different companies. Stuff happens. It's a different reality out there now. It's not like it used to be, and I dare say, a long career with one employer is not what it used to be, either. When you deal with constant change that you have no control over, it changes your priorities (and your thinking) a bit. You just move on. What else can you do? And try to prepare yourself for the next time it happens. I've learned to separate my work life and my home life, too. Why more people can't figure out how to do that successfully is beyond me. You can't just be invested in one thing or the other exclusively. If you really want to be happy, you have to learn how to separate the two things to keep your sanity. Or you will be robbed of it...EASILY! I've seen too many get "burned out", so I know. I've even known co-workers who passed away (and what did all of the stress and pain do for them in the end, but help shorten their lives?). It's not that you don't love your job (and...DON'T GET ME WRONG...I work hard when I'm working), but we only have a short time on this earth, and we better damn well appreciate that fact and HAVE SOME BALANCE IN OUR LIVES, PEOPLE! We as humans were not made to be one thing only! And when you have that balance (however you find it) and a different perspective on things, you can deal with virtually anything. It's not so much what happens, but how we choose to think about, react and deal with what happens (because stuff will happen!) that really matters. And if we deal with our problems in the right way, we'll be better human beings in the long run because of it!
I would lose everything, this is my first and only job. 19 years and counting. There are no other jobs here. I don't love beyond my means, no credit cards only a house and 3 kids, no vacations or out to dinner nights.
