no one is pErFeCt
New member
Warning: Very Long Read
I know very few of you know me, and I don't care. I need to get some things off my chest, because its hit me a lot harder then I thought it would. Normally I would get some personal information off my chest involving myself or my wife, but this involves my parents & the economy.
I know we all know the United States, even most of the world, is in a bad recession. This isn't breaking news. What is news, for me, is that my parents are in possible dire straits. Let me explain to you all about the two of them.
--
My father is a classic 50's era man. He was taught to work hard, earn your keep, and take care of your family. He lost his father at a very young age, due to some mental instabilities in his person. His mother raised him from the age of 9 on her own. This is along with her other children. I never got the honor to meet either of them. But I know that the way they raised my father, shows they were great people.
My father joined the navy during the Korean war, and served on the USS Forrestal. Yes, the same ship that Senator McCain served on, but no, he did not serve with the Senator. When he came out of the Navy, he was a changed man, and had some goals in life he wanted to achieve.
I'm not going to bore you all with details on his life, but what it comes down to is; my father has worked an entirety of 3 jobs his entire life. He is 64 years old, and was just fired today from a start up company that he joined. He joined it, because his last job was owned by the gentleman who just started up this company.
--
My mother was born and raised by her parents in much the same way as my father. You work hard, you earn your life, and you hold on as hard as you can, through good and bad. She's one of 4 children, all of whom were raised as well as can be. She's a bit younger then my father, only 56. I know that's only an 8 year difference, but when you consider that her father is only 10 years older then my own father, it puts a little interesting perspective on it.
She's held the same job for the past 30 years, working at factory with the same Union the entire time. She was one of the key people that got the Union put together in the first place, and served many years as the Secretary for the group.
Why does this all matter?
--
Yesterday my cell phone rang while I was out on the road, driving my truck to a plumbing outfit. I drive professionally, delivering plumbing supplies to plumbing outfits in the Eastern Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey region. When I drive, I don't answer my cell phone when I drive, because I need to pay attention to the road. But there are always exceptions you make to the rule; your parents, spouse, children, etc.
My mother called me, sobbing on the phone. She's a very emotional person, has never purposefully harmed another person at any time in her life. She grew up in the 60's as a Pacifist, and still holds true to many of her values today. She called me, because she just had to force someone out of a job at her work. He had far less seniority than her, and the company she works for had eliminated her position. Not her job, her position and all the people that held it were being let go.
She felt ashamed, and crushed that she had to make a man that she considers a friend, lose his job to hold her's. I'm proud that she was able to make that choice for herself, and proud of her ability to do so. But she had to take a pay cut to keep working. 3$ an hour. Now this doesn't sound like much, but when you live paycheck to paycheck, it adds up.
(Per Week Loss) 40 Hours * 3$ = 120$
(Per Check Loss) 120$ * 2 weeks = 240$
(Per Year Loss) 240$ * 26 pays = 6240$
I know, basic math. I wanted to put it in perspective on how much that adds up, and how quickly it adds up.
When she called me, she needed someone to talk to, and let her emotions out on. I gladly listened and responded as I dodged typical PA traffic. PA traffic = CUT OFF THE TRUCK DRIVER, I'M LATE FOR LIFE! Wait, that's country wide traffic, isn't it?
She also did something she's never done before, she asked for help from me, financially. My wife and I are by no means, well off. But I work enough to pay the bills and all necessities. My wife is disabled due to an Epilepsy disorder, and collects from monthly paychecks from a Long Term Disability fund she has. We have enough left over to put quite a bit in the bank every month.
Needless to say, I told my mother I would gladly help, she more then deserves it.
--
My father just called me an hour ago, to tell me not to call him at work tomorrow. He and I have a weekly ritual where I call him at lunchtime every Wednesday to check in on him. I make sure he takes his medications, set up where we are going out to breakfast for the coming weekend, and catch up with the latest sports news.
Now he had said last week, that his job was starting to get shaky. The start-up company just opened its doors so to speak, on the 1st of this past July. He's the warehouse manager / forklift driver for the company. He told me he's been doing nothing but sit at his desk, playing FreeCell, and browsing the news websites he likes to read.
He called to tell me not to call him, because from now on, he'd be at home every day.
The man has worked hard every single day of his life, has served this country faithfully in a very unpopular war - not that that has any relevance to this - but is completely lost in what to do tomorrow. My sister may be able to get him a job at her company in the warehouse, but its not guaranteed.
--
What is the point of this thread you ask? I'll admit it, I don't fucking know. At the same time, I kinda like that it has no point to it. I know one of my points is that watching a couple, my parents, work their entire lives to build and hold a home for my family, possibly lose it all due to things out of their control; sucks.
We all know the economy is fucked up, and this is just another "thread of woe." But it's one thing to read about a situation like this propping up, its another to be in the middle of it suddenly.
My wife and I offered to move into my parents if they need us to, to help pay the mortgage and bills. We currently live in an apartment, not because we can't handle living in a house, but because we have little desire to be homeowners at this point and time.
Thanks for the read, if you made it through the jumble. Next time I'll put a disclaimer on the thread. "Warning - you may fall asleep, have the urge to cleanse your bowels in the bathroom, reach through the monitor and choke Zannion, and a few other violent-related urges when reading."
TL;DR: The economy sucks.
I know very few of you know me, and I don't care. I need to get some things off my chest, because its hit me a lot harder then I thought it would. Normally I would get some personal information off my chest involving myself or my wife, but this involves my parents & the economy.
I know we all know the United States, even most of the world, is in a bad recession. This isn't breaking news. What is news, for me, is that my parents are in possible dire straits. Let me explain to you all about the two of them.
--
My father is a classic 50's era man. He was taught to work hard, earn your keep, and take care of your family. He lost his father at a very young age, due to some mental instabilities in his person. His mother raised him from the age of 9 on her own. This is along with her other children. I never got the honor to meet either of them. But I know that the way they raised my father, shows they were great people.
My father joined the navy during the Korean war, and served on the USS Forrestal. Yes, the same ship that Senator McCain served on, but no, he did not serve with the Senator. When he came out of the Navy, he was a changed man, and had some goals in life he wanted to achieve.
I'm not going to bore you all with details on his life, but what it comes down to is; my father has worked an entirety of 3 jobs his entire life. He is 64 years old, and was just fired today from a start up company that he joined. He joined it, because his last job was owned by the gentleman who just started up this company.
--
My mother was born and raised by her parents in much the same way as my father. You work hard, you earn your life, and you hold on as hard as you can, through good and bad. She's one of 4 children, all of whom were raised as well as can be. She's a bit younger then my father, only 56. I know that's only an 8 year difference, but when you consider that her father is only 10 years older then my own father, it puts a little interesting perspective on it.
She's held the same job for the past 30 years, working at factory with the same Union the entire time. She was one of the key people that got the Union put together in the first place, and served many years as the Secretary for the group.
Why does this all matter?
--
Yesterday my cell phone rang while I was out on the road, driving my truck to a plumbing outfit. I drive professionally, delivering plumbing supplies to plumbing outfits in the Eastern Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey region. When I drive, I don't answer my cell phone when I drive, because I need to pay attention to the road. But there are always exceptions you make to the rule; your parents, spouse, children, etc.
My mother called me, sobbing on the phone. She's a very emotional person, has never purposefully harmed another person at any time in her life. She grew up in the 60's as a Pacifist, and still holds true to many of her values today. She called me, because she just had to force someone out of a job at her work. He had far less seniority than her, and the company she works for had eliminated her position. Not her job, her position and all the people that held it were being let go.
She felt ashamed, and crushed that she had to make a man that she considers a friend, lose his job to hold her's. I'm proud that she was able to make that choice for herself, and proud of her ability to do so. But she had to take a pay cut to keep working. 3$ an hour. Now this doesn't sound like much, but when you live paycheck to paycheck, it adds up.
(Per Week Loss) 40 Hours * 3$ = 120$
(Per Check Loss) 120$ * 2 weeks = 240$
(Per Year Loss) 240$ * 26 pays = 6240$
I know, basic math. I wanted to put it in perspective on how much that adds up, and how quickly it adds up.
When she called me, she needed someone to talk to, and let her emotions out on. I gladly listened and responded as I dodged typical PA traffic. PA traffic = CUT OFF THE TRUCK DRIVER, I'M LATE FOR LIFE! Wait, that's country wide traffic, isn't it?
She also did something she's never done before, she asked for help from me, financially. My wife and I are by no means, well off. But I work enough to pay the bills and all necessities. My wife is disabled due to an Epilepsy disorder, and collects from monthly paychecks from a Long Term Disability fund she has. We have enough left over to put quite a bit in the bank every month.
Needless to say, I told my mother I would gladly help, she more then deserves it.
--
My father just called me an hour ago, to tell me not to call him at work tomorrow. He and I have a weekly ritual where I call him at lunchtime every Wednesday to check in on him. I make sure he takes his medications, set up where we are going out to breakfast for the coming weekend, and catch up with the latest sports news.
Now he had said last week, that his job was starting to get shaky. The start-up company just opened its doors so to speak, on the 1st of this past July. He's the warehouse manager / forklift driver for the company. He told me he's been doing nothing but sit at his desk, playing FreeCell, and browsing the news websites he likes to read.
He called to tell me not to call him, because from now on, he'd be at home every day.
The man has worked hard every single day of his life, has served this country faithfully in a very unpopular war - not that that has any relevance to this - but is completely lost in what to do tomorrow. My sister may be able to get him a job at her company in the warehouse, but its not guaranteed.
--
What is the point of this thread you ask? I'll admit it, I don't fucking know. At the same time, I kinda like that it has no point to it. I know one of my points is that watching a couple, my parents, work their entire lives to build and hold a home for my family, possibly lose it all due to things out of their control; sucks.
We all know the economy is fucked up, and this is just another "thread of woe." But it's one thing to read about a situation like this propping up, its another to be in the middle of it suddenly.
My wife and I offered to move into my parents if they need us to, to help pay the mortgage and bills. We currently live in an apartment, not because we can't handle living in a house, but because we have little desire to be homeowners at this point and time.
Thanks for the read, if you made it through the jumble. Next time I'll put a disclaimer on the thread. "Warning - you may fall asleep, have the urge to cleanse your bowels in the bathroom, reach through the monitor and choke Zannion, and a few other violent-related urges when reading."
TL;DR: The economy sucks.