The Devil in the Details

I swear nothing brings out the worst in people then me writing fiction. I quit my job last year because my manager, the owners nephew, wanted me to push my body and take on more responsibilities and work more over time knowing I was working on novel writing in my free time. He laughed at me when I made the mistake of mentioning my story writing and what I was working on. I had another boss tell me my writing is a waste of time. I walked out on that job that same day. 

Its makes working a full time job difficult in todays enviroment. The people now days are sadly bitter wretched creatures trapped in a hell of their own making. I don't go around acting like I'm superior, everyone has something to offer the world, I'm just 

Say what you want about comic strip artist Scott Adams but when he was still an office jockey, he knew which employees were bitter with life because while in his office they would go of there way to destroy his Dilbert sketches he would draw in his office.

I had a similar experience this mourning in my usual mourning spot. I was absorbed in a piece of writing when some disabled guy started yelling at me like he was my boss and I was on his property. I left, and found him brooding on his porch on my way out. I better he feels better now that he was able to dump his misery onto my plate. 

And thats the issue. He wants to feel like he's in control over his situation by stripping that from someone else. But his anger was uncalled for: a) that property belongs to the township, not him. b) I was on public land behind an abandonded building minding my own business. If he had an issue with my utilizing public resources as a safe space to focus on writing is such an issue, why not bring it up with the township? c) he couldn't even see me and where I was parked from his front porch. I was litterally minding my own business, hurting nobody when I get jolted out of the story I was writing because some citizen decided to crown himself deputy. 

And so now I must go find a new mourning spot until I get chased out of there. And on and on it goes because people want a sense of power, control and influence over their surroundings. But instead of finding it in themselves, they'd rather tear others down, extract what they can from them in the moment and then leave them the hollow husk while you bask in the warmth of the suffering you caused onto others. 

And the reality is: I met retired people, bosses, owners, drug addicts, college graduates all with that same exact attitude; I'm indebted to your entitlement. And that's why these work conflicts keep occuring, they want me to focus on energy on making them rich, and exchange, I get to put aside everything I've built up to this point so someone can feel better about themselves for the way they exploit others. Its shameful. 

First Eggs, now Corn!

I remember when gas was less then a dollar per gallon. Cigarettes were under three dollars. And a dozen ears of fresh picked country corn from the backroads of Wisconsins farmland was less then a dollar. I remember a lot of things, back in the cheaper years, when a common man could afford a starter home with an average salary. I feel so old now even though I still have a few years left before I kiss forty. 

Now a dozen ears of corn costs seven dollars. Seven dollars! Soon, it'll be a dollar per ear, maybe ten for a dozen. 

In thirty years, the price of fresh summer corn has gone up a whole decimal point. From .75 to 7.50, that's a huge increase. Imagine if your hourly salary went from $7.50 to $75. Its basically the same thing. 

And as a result, its become expensive just to survive. This system is out of order in all the worst ways. But no matter what happens, I have faith things are the way they were meant to be. If I'm not strong enough to survive then do I deserve to live? 

Personally, I dont feel that way while I write this. I can only control what I can control. Mostly my behavior, my conduct and anything placed under my supervision; and even then I don't control people. I expect anyone under my supervision to lead themselves. I'll guide them through procedure, answer any questions to the best of my ability and point them in the right direction, but unless you're a fifteen year old girl, you should know how to at least babysit yourself.