Today I have officially joined the ranks of the unemployed. You won't see me in a statistic anywhere. I haven't been 'on the books' long enough to apply for unemployment. But there it is. I've managed to save some money, and I hope it's enough.
Monday the boss bitched me out. He wanted to know why I hadn't been putting in 100% effort. "Well, aside from the fact that I've been sick, you agreed to give me a $3.00/hr raise when I went on the books. And you owe me sales commission, so I am less inclined to work my ass off when you owe me money."
He said he never agreed to that raise, or when it would take effect. He said he was just doing what was legal, and any discrepancy in pay was between me and the Federal government. He wanted me to grovel and beg for my job. He said he needed me to make a long term commitment to the company, or cease to be employed. He gave me a day to think about it.
Curiously, on my way to work Monday, before any of this happened, I was thinking how nice it would be to be able to work on the van full time and get the fuck out of here ASAP. I was thinking about having to wear sunglasses every evening while driving ever westward, going to search for my green valley.
Be careful what you wish for.
I don't regret it, by any means. I think he was actually just pissed off and bluffing to try to get me to work harder. Boy was he surprised when I turned in my key today. He thought I needed him more than he needed me, and he was wrong. I mentioned that the federal government could kiss my pasty white ass; I was going to live on a commune with my mom.
God willing, I will never work 'on the books' again. It just supports this ravenous beast of a system. Fuck that. Fuck Louisiana and all the crooked motherfuckers that operate down here. I don't need this shit. I am so out of here.
So now the van is my full time job. I have a lot to do. I will probably take a break from the blogosphere, it is time consuming, and time is not something I can afford to waste now. I am leaving on a journey several thousand miles long in less than a month. I need to get my ducks in a row.
No more cigarettes, no more beer. It is a distraction and an expense I can no longer afford.
There is only room for focused intent and hard work to get ready to leave this place.
I feel like I'm drifting, floating... All of my attachments here have been cut. All that remains is leaving.
Ahhhh, the open road will be mine soon. Bring me that horizon.
I hope you will continue to post occasional/weekly updates on the progress of your van. It looks like you have done a lot of quality work so far and I'd love to see it when it is finished.
ReplyDeleteI was stationed at England AFB (Alexandria) for a couple of years and hated the hot humid summers. Looks like you will be on your way West before the worst of the hot weather sets in. It's nice and cool in the Arizona, Utah & Colorado mountains. Good luck.
TJ
Damn, I'da kicked that sob in the teeth.... Yeah, I've been told lately what a "privilege" it is to have a job. I wanted to slap the little weasel too... Good luck, and Godspeed Maitrya!
ReplyDeleteoh wow, this is where it starts to get good! i just started reading, so i'm bummed you're not going to be posting as much. maybe just give us a sliver of what's going on?
ReplyDeleteI'll try to post when I can. I've just gotta stick to my schedule; 9AM to dark - work on van, then spend 2hrs sorting/organizing crap to ship or sell.
ReplyDeleteMayberry, the look on his face was almost better than a slap. I really shocked the shit out of him when I quit.
I just feel sorry for the plants (no one will water them) and the amimals (they might get fed every 5 days or so now) Poor critters.
But I can't save everyone.
As the saying goes "To thine ownself be true...". Hope the weather gives you some time to get it all together, girl!
ReplyDeleteWishing you all the best and hoping you stay in touch!
Yes, good luck. Put a Paypal logo on your blog. Those of us who still have jobs can afford to Paypal you a few dollars once in a while. You can get a Paypal card that acts as a debit and Mastercard, too. Just an idea.
ReplyDeleteWhere are you headed, exactly?
My mom lives in Washington state, so I will head out there and help her get the house ready to sell (if that's do-able). From there we will look for a community on the west coast. There are a lot of wild and beautiful mountains out there, and lots of people starting 'local economy' type situations.
ReplyDeleteI thought about paypal... I hate to ask for money, but I guess it might buy me a laptop or something (Iphone?) that would let me continue blogging on my journey. I'll think about it.
I do have some specific locations in mind, but I'm not posting them on the net... you can e-mail me... maitreya.beast@gmail
ReplyDeletegreat! I have an iPhone. Quite useful! Look for someone selling a first generation phone.... a bit slower, but a lot cheaper!
ReplyDeleteThen you need that damn data plan for an extra $20 per month... but it's still cheap internet access.
I shall email you soon. I just kind of admire your story...