I started a new job recently. A job at which I now make as much in one week as I previously made in a single day. No shit.
Before I let loose a diatribe against all things corporate, of which I was a part for way too many years and would thusly be quite qualified to do, let me just sum up by saying that I'm happier and more content now.
Life lesson learned: through poverty one is taught the true meaning of prosperity.
Life lesson number two: certain bills can be ignored without consequence, longer than you might think.
Sure, I enjoyed my riches but I have to admit that I'm loving my rags even more. Maybe it's just a honeymoon period. Time will tell, but for the present I'm a happier camper.
So now I sit not in a windowed office, nor in what one would even call a respectable cubicle, as I chat with and listen to others talk amongst themselves. Interesting juxtaposition of conversation, I must say.
No disrespect intended toward my new batch of fellow employees (in fact, quite the contrary), but being in the lowly trenches where the people are genuine, I hear stories I'd never have heard in the boardroom.
For the most part, real life is left at the doorstep of ivory towers. No masquerade party in the dollars-per-hour clock-punching world, though!
For example, today I was opportunistically eavesdropping on Lanita and Tameka bantering just outside my quasi-cube about Lanita's past drug addiction, recovery, homelessness, and about being a victim of domestic violence! Right out there in the open, no less. Chitchatting about such things for all peonic workerbees to hear.
Fortunately, I had a primo seat. Gripping story. Something of the likes that would never have been shared, much less shamelessly and publicly screened, in my previous employmental environs.
It made me proud of Lanita, and I feel like I somehow know her now, although I've seldom even had occasion to say hello. I'm still one of the new guys, after all, so she probably doesn't even know my name.
Look at what she has overcome, and how she has no doubt had to struggle for the success that has come with her employment here at Centralized Showing Service. One can't deny that she has come a long way, baby.
And while others might consider my current position several steps back, I'm pleased to be on that same step with someone who has taken even more steps forward.
Of course, forthcoming eavesdropping could possibly expose a totally fucked up bitch who just got lucky. Who knows?
Like I said, I'm still a stranger in a strange land. I haven't quite yet figured out the natives here. So far, though, I'm enjoying my defection from Corporate.
Some of the abuse stories she broadcast were quite horrendous and I wondered why, when she seems now to be such a take-no-shit kinda gal. Maybe it was the drugs, who knows? Still, a compelling synopsis of her life experiences.
I like poor people. They're interesting. Maybe now I'll become interesting, too.
Here's a "You go, girl!" video for Lanita, who has already went:
Before I let loose a diatribe against all things corporate, of which I was a part for way too many years and would thusly be quite qualified to do, let me just sum up by saying that I'm happier and more content now.
Life lesson learned: through poverty one is taught the true meaning of prosperity.
Life lesson number two: certain bills can be ignored without consequence, longer than you might think.
Sure, I enjoyed my riches but I have to admit that I'm loving my rags even more. Maybe it's just a honeymoon period. Time will tell, but for the present I'm a happier camper.
So now I sit not in a windowed office, nor in what one would even call a respectable cubicle, as I chat with and listen to others talk amongst themselves. Interesting juxtaposition of conversation, I must say.
No disrespect intended toward my new batch of fellow employees (in fact, quite the contrary), but being in the lowly trenches where the people are genuine, I hear stories I'd never have heard in the boardroom.
For the most part, real life is left at the doorstep of ivory towers. No masquerade party in the dollars-per-hour clock-punching world, though!
For example, today I was opportunistically eavesdropping on Lanita and Tameka bantering just outside my quasi-cube about Lanita's past drug addiction, recovery, homelessness, and about being a victim of domestic violence! Right out there in the open, no less. Chitchatting about such things for all peonic workerbees to hear.
Fortunately, I had a primo seat. Gripping story. Something of the likes that would never have been shared, much less shamelessly and publicly screened, in my previous employmental environs.
It made me proud of Lanita, and I feel like I somehow know her now, although I've seldom even had occasion to say hello. I'm still one of the new guys, after all, so she probably doesn't even know my name.
Look at what she has overcome, and how she has no doubt had to struggle for the success that has come with her employment here at Centralized Showing Service. One can't deny that she has come a long way, baby.
And while others might consider my current position several steps back, I'm pleased to be on that same step with someone who has taken even more steps forward.
Of course, forthcoming eavesdropping could possibly expose a totally fucked up bitch who just got lucky. Who knows?
Like I said, I'm still a stranger in a strange land. I haven't quite yet figured out the natives here. So far, though, I'm enjoying my defection from Corporate.
Some of the abuse stories she broadcast were quite horrendous and I wondered why, when she seems now to be such a take-no-shit kinda gal. Maybe it was the drugs, who knows? Still, a compelling synopsis of her life experiences.
I like poor people. They're interesting. Maybe now I'll become interesting, too.
Here's a "You go, girl!" video for Lanita, who has already went:
Interesting, Doug. I got off the corporate ladder climb when my last marriage went belly up. I am a lowly supervisor now and that is as far as I care to go. I am a common man at heart and love the common people. When I was married I wanted my wife to have the best of everything. That drove me ever forward and upward. Now I am free to concentrate on my own happiness, and my needs are few. I probably would have gone into the ministry were I not such a sinner. But I am a humanist who believes with Protagoras that "man is the measure of all things." What time I have left will be spent in humanistic endeavors.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear you're much happier with you new job.
ReplyDeleteI admire anyone who has had to overcome those type of situations, like Lanita. She sounds like so many other great women I know who have made it through the storm. Good for her!
Janet Rocks!
I know what you're saying....I've got friends in low places too.(ha) No, seriously, I always felt like I related better to blue collar people. In junior high we moved to a golf course neighborhood with preppy rich kids and were the poor among the rich- my mom was an entrepreneur, always in different fields and living beyond her means. She pretended to be the maid with a foreign accent to avoid bill collectors! She married rich and pride made her divorce poor- so I experienced the wealthy side only when visiting my dad and his family. He was very adamant about not buying my love; so I saw but did not receive. My little sister got a lot but she was a brown noser and his real daughter (he adopted me and I always had a complex about that).Anyway, my best friends lived in the blue collar neighborhood and unfortunately, all dropped out before high school
ReplyDelete(10th grade at thhat time), but were the coolest people. I met my husband when he had no car, no phone and a ton of loans to get through college. He actually could have made some money back then because he got discovered and photographed by Bruce Webber, but did not pursue it. I chose looks (and personality-ha) over wealth. Anyway, we are only getting to a comfortable economic level and I thought it would feel so different. It doesn't. I'm not materialistic so the big deal is being able to afford to live in SF and shop at Whole Foods (whole paycheck they call it here). But, you're right about people with crazy life experience being interesting. Two of my best friends from high school(although they came from upper middle) have lived down and low. One spent 8 years in prison and is now a screenwriter and the other went through meth addiction and worked as a male prostitute ( although, being gay, he said it was the greatest job of his life-ha!).
I know T.M.I....
I love the JJ video and never heard this song before. I haven't kept up with her music since "Scream." I like when she gets attitude and this reminds me of "Black Cat" which I always loved.
"...worked as a male prostitute ( although, being gay, he said it was the greatest job of his life-"
ReplyDeleteThat's such a sad statement he made. Maybe he was joking to lessen the pain?
I regret revealing so much.
ReplyDeleteMy friend and I are very close and this was a phase in his life over 10 years ago. He meant what he said because he was young, single, and horny; and it was an escort service, so he had more say in his clientele (the meth addiction was not during this time). He feels like every experience he's had elevates him to a higher level of understanding. He told me he learned more about sex and himself and became less superficial about future boyfriends.
Doug, all I can say is amen and that I completely understand. And I'm sure you know, too, as I do, that you wouldn't be enjoying life as much now as if you had stayed in the game as was probably expected, by both yourself and others. I have to admit that I wouldn't change anything in the past, though. Had I not come out of the closet (even though I was kinda pushed out, actually ... whole 'nother story) so late in life, I wouldn't have the best-friend relationship I have now with my (2nd) ex-wife, nor would my most giving daughter of 21 years from the first lady bedded have walked the planet. Time and a place for everything, I guess. And at least you're still a supervisor, I went from a director position to the lowest of the low, and me likey. Plus, I'll admit I do make at least as much and usually more from my sideline online endeavors. It's all good. For now.
ReplyDeleteRainlillie - I am now obsessed with Lanita. :-) She usually sits right in front of me, so I'm hoping to learn more. I'm intrigued. Today, out of the blue, I felt a tap on my shoulder whilst on the phone, and it was Lanita! Of course, she was pointing out a faux pas she had overheard me make (dammit, apparently eavesdropping works both ways) I didn't verify by agent ID or PIN some real estate showing agent before giving them the secret gate code for the property or something. I think the more I overhear, the more I'll like her.
And to my Erika - Well, well, consider me one of your friends in low places now, too. :-) I completely understand what you mean when you say you've always related better to the blue collar. Me, too. While for all those years I spent my days strategizing, budgeting, time spent in fuckin' waste o' time meetings, convincing board members of why we needed to, and must, spend x millions of dollars to achieve advertising goals to benefit the bottom line ... all I was thinking was when the hell could I go home and put on a tshirt and open a beer.
Your personal story is certainly not TMI, at least for me. I find it fascinating, to hear the stories behind the names I see on my screen every day. Bruce Weber? Really??? I love his work. Fascinating that. He must have been hot! (Pictures always appreciated. :-)
And, of course, no surprise, I also thought Black Cat was one of her better songs. Like you said, I like JJ with some attitude.
little navigator - I agree that it could be maybe a sad statement, the foray into gay prostitution being the greatest job of his life. I wouldn't be surprised as you suggest that it's a defense mechanism to lessen the pain of what he might have had to do in the past. I know a couple of guys who in their younger days earned a gay suck and fuck buck from time to time, who are now admittedly ashamed after spending years bragging about how great it was to make such an easy buck. On the other hand, I remember twice in my earlier days being offered money for sex with some anonymous guy, and I was admittedly quite flattered, and actually considered it. So maybe it really was the greatest job of his life. I'm certainly not one to psychoanalyze.
Doug - There isn’t a smooth connection btwn you being flattered by a proposition you never accepted and a man who claims his greatest job was as an escort.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you didn't mean to imply that there is a connection, but that is how I interpreted your statement that begins with, "So maybe it really was..."
Erika – It does make sense that your friend grew from his experience.
I agree, li'l nav, that it wasn't a smooth connection, and you're correct in assuming that I didn't mean to imply an apples to apples comparison between the two. Late night stream of consciousness doesn't always come out quite like I intend.
ReplyDeleteDoug, thanks for understanding. Between my friends who performed in drag (I also lived in Vegas) to my high school friend and others, I probably know more than a lot of gay men. I even experienced gay Mardi Gras with my neighbor in the French Quarter (there is a section called the fruit loop-not my words, it's known) and saw a LOT! (I am one of those women who has already enjoyed it on video.) My friend I mentioned here, to this day tells me explicit details- that's why I know he liked it so much. I'm glad you didn't take my wording to mean he loved being a prostitute because he was gay. He is an extreme person (Scorpio too) and had the luxury of not doing it only for the money and considered it experimental and fun.
ReplyDeleteWe never got any of the Bruce Webber photos and they were never published. He went to two shoots at BW's house in Miami and it was for Interview magazine. BW told him to get a tan, but he being German/Scottish decided modeling wasn't for him. I'm all about a chiseled face and that's what attracted me. My husband used to be compared a lot to Eric Stolz in Anaconda (and once mistaken for the oldest brother on Party of 5), but more auburn than red.
I am always most comfortable and happy around "flawed" people, in my hood of minorities, old people, poor people, druggies, pimps, etc., like people with disabilities: if they are alive they are survivors and the world has much to learn from them. I hate people and institutions that exclude. Glad you like your job.
ReplyDelete