It's been a while since I've last posted. I've been on hiatus primarily because I've been very focused at work, working full-time, 40+ hour weeks. The work has been fast-paced and intense, yet rewarding when the check comes through. My pay went up a dollar recently due to union benefits from last summer when the company was going to strike, but ended up getting a deal where we workers get a dollar a year for three years. Not too shabby.
Where have I been? Well, I've been working a lot. I work the second shift, 330pm-12am, five days a week, sometimes six or seven days a week during the holidays as needed. As a result I've been very tired. I try every day to maximize my sleep in order to keep up my energy in this fast-paced work environment.
The job hasn't gotten any easier. In fact, sometimes it feels like the job got harder. I'm a cashier most of the time at the market, the same gig I've been writing about for years here on this said blog, but usually I'm running a self-checkout area by myself, running seven registers and helping everybody as needed, as well as watching to make sure that everybody pays, doesn't steal anything, and scans all their stuff. It sounds like an easy job on paper but it's demanding and the boss and managers demand a lot of you.
That's not to say I can't do it, because I've been promoted at the job since last year, but sometimes it gets trying, as opposed to tiring. It's a given that you're going to get tired working retail but sometimes you don't expect that people will become belligerent and steal an expensive bill's worth of groceries when you're helping somebody else.
About a month or so ago, I was helping two black guys, and their card didn't go through for a $70 bottle of liquor. When I told them their card didn't go through, they grabbed the bottle out of my hands and just walked out of the store. I yelled at the security guard to stop them, called them thieves, but the guard just didn't do anything. It was the first time I'd ever been robbed point-blank at my job. Usually thieves just try to run out unnoticed and skip out on the bill on the payment screen on the self-checkout terminals, they don't usually have the audacity to grab things out of my hands and just walk out. That was quite an experience. Keep in mind that my store is in a very nice area and its a multi-million dollar store. There's a first time for everything, as they say.
That being said, my job is still pretty easy. The best part is that we have a high-powered industrial air conditioner that keeps the place very cold. Perfect for this 90-100 degree heatwave we're having right now. I think I've been very tired physically but writing about it here makes me feel a lot better, LOL.
Does labor have a good footing currently in America? Sag-Aftra has just gone on strike with the workers, that's over 160,000 employees. I don't think labor is in a good spot in America right now and despite what the economists say about how good the jobs numbers are and how good Americans are really doing despite what they think, I think it's a load of crap.
First of all, I don't believe that the jobs the majority of people have right now are good jobs. I think a few people with college degrees, degrees in certain fields, have good jobs, and what's left for the vast majority of people are what they call gig economy jobs.
My friend who's in the best spot is simply a sales manager at the same grocery store company that I work for, he makes about two dollars more than me. Another friend I have drives lyft and uber almost every night to make rent. Another friend I have does uber eats eight hours a day. Another friend I have parks cars at restaurants and such. Another friend is a dishwasher at a restaurant. Another friend that didn't make it at my job now works at McDonalds. These aren't exactly what I call good jobs or people in a very good situation, if anything, it represents a dark turning point in labor, where life has become more difficult in terms of making money, paying rent, and living that happier, purpose driven life. Keep in mind even though my friend is making two dollars more than me, he still wants more out of life, and isn't happy with the gig. I would say the world we live in is becoming ever more and more a gig economy working world, which is not good.
Now, for the good! Despite working nonstop, I've been able to read a lot of books. Lately, I've been really into Will and Ariel Durant's Story of Civilization series, a history book collection about the history of civilization starting with the Greeks and ending in the Age of Napoleon. I've also been able to read a lot of science fiction novels including the two novels by Arkady Martine, A Memory Called Empire and the sequel. As well I found R.F. Chuang's Babel to be an amazing fantasy story that involves the deconstruction of colonialism. Guns, Germs, and Steel was a fascinating read about the fates of human societies, although I don't completely buy some of the theories in there. A Thousand and One Arabian Nights was a great escape into Middle Eastern fables and culture.
So you can arguably say, that although I'm worker bee, my job still allows me the time to be an intellectual and read a lot of books. In the past, I used to just play video games and think that was okay, but as I'm getting older, I'm finding more value out of reading books, reading the news daily, and watching the news. Not bad for a retail grocery guy.
Within toil's embrace, 'neath summer's grace, Work's tapestry weaves, reflecting gratitude's trace. Diligent labor, virtues dance and entwine, Friendship's gem bestowed, goodwill's symphony divine.
Thoughts surge and soar, wisdom's zephyr at play, Grateful heart's whisper, joy blossoms, come what may. Nurtured by toil's loom, virtues spun like gold, Kindness unfurls, a celestial story, yet untold.
Labor's rhythmic waltz, life's essence distilled, With cherished companions, hearts forever thrilled. Gratitude's dwelling, an everlasting rhyme, In work's tender embrace, a sonnet of sublime. [ai generated, image ai generated]
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