This year was a mess for me. After losing my career job being pegged a scapegoat for powerful monied interests bent on getting a blood-sacrifice— I spent most of my time working multiple non-career related jobs like an indentured servant. That wasn’t enough— I’ve also been blackballed by certain entities in my field… so dozens of applications and interviews, and nothing to show for it. It is cutthroat business and politics around here unfortunately. No good deed goes unpunished, and all bad behavior will be rewarded.
I almost lost my mountain property to foreclosure, but am coming back from the brink. One of my employers recently decided to pay me better and bring me on full-time, so the future is brighter. If I had lost that property, it would have broken my heart. I had been preparing myself psychologically in case such a horrible thing came to pass. Luckily, that outcome has been narrowly avoided.
I’ve missed you all. I really appreciate the positive messages I’ve received over the past several months. I will try to respond to those as I am able.
I worked so many hours, and for such low pay, that I had almost no time to visit the mountain orchard this year. I harvested almost nothing, and suffered storm blowdowns and other damage that I could not properly address. It rained here like End of Days from July all the way through September- just terrible.
My only consolation is that I still own both of my properties, and am finally pulling out of what was a financial nosedive.
I refuse to give up. My efforts will meet with success someday. I will never stop working to make next year a better year for me and my family.
I did get a few blueberries and figs from around the house— special treasures. I’ll share them with you.
Wow, sorry to hear about all that, Matt, sounds like quite an ordeal. I was wondering why you hadn’t posted in a while. Glad to hear that you’re headed back in a good direction. Godspeed on your future endeavors.
Nobody misses the power of unions until they face the injustice of being powerless in the face of an unfair employer- and I’m speaking as a business owner. Like slave-owners, some business owners are more ethical and kindly than others- but most want as much power over their employees as possible. Aside from the human quest for power for power’s sake, it makes it easier to run a business if you don’t have to deal with unions. The U.S. has become an owner’s world in the last 50 years, for better or for worse.
Unions are a double edged sword. Great for the worker, sometimes too great. In my area there are a lot of stories of people clocking into union jobs, walking across the street and drinking for 8 hours (or finding a hiding spot to sleep), then clocking out and going home. These guys were “untouchable” at General Dynamics until the Cold War ended and they laid off most of the workforce. There was a similar culture in the union at the nuclear power plant around here.
Yeah, I get the “without the unions we wouldn’t have XYZ” but sometimes they wind up doing more harm than good and that’s why a lot of people who aren’t high up the corporate ladder oppose them. I’m pro-union (mostly).
What people believe has a lot to do with what they watch and read. The owners have most of the clout there also. There is also the politics of tribe- the union movement has a Yankee branding, partially as a result of the above reality.
All human systems are corrupted by faults that come with our species. One always needs to weigh benefits against liabilities to make the right decision, but that’s easier said than done. Especially when propaganda runs rampant from both sides of every big issue.
I realize all this belongs on the lounge, and that includes Matt’s original story.
This will be my last comment on this in this category. Anyone that wants to take it to the lounge, I’m open to continuing the discussion there, although we’ve actually already been through it once a few months ago.
No minds were changed from what I could tell, but cultural evolution is a slow process with many false turns.
They keep busting the union here. Enrolling the higher ups in the charm school at Joliet. Our cement shoe industry has suffered greatly. We’re still looking for Hoffa though.
Hey Matt. I’m mostly a learner here and don’t post much, but I’ve learned a lot reading your thoughtful posts, and am glad to hear things are turning in a better direction for you!