A blank page, a canvas, white
Crashing headlong into ought five, I thought I might do a quick recap of my life in the oughts, as we are now practically halfway through:
I gave up my dream. I seriously planned to open a video store and was raising the money to do it, I incorporated, bought some back stock, and had a kickass business plan. Then, I gave it up. Reality kicked my ass on that front, folks.
I sold out to the man. I have worked for not one, not two, but three different soul crushing industries in the last five years. Yup, cars, banks and telecom, the three biggest economic oligarchies around (I suppose I could have worked for Hydro just to complete the grand slam, but there's still half a decade left for that) have all had the pleasure of my service and my sunny disposition. Here's what I've learned about the world of work. It can't be enjoyed, it can be barely tolerated, unless it's really busy with meaningless task, in which case it can be gotten through. I find it almost impossible to be friends with the people at work because without those divisions my life will become too entangled, and yet when asked what I like about my job I will invariably answer "well, the people are nice."
I did a pretty good job so far with the kid. Max is turning out almost exactly as I had hoped, although who knows anymore if that's good or not, or even whether I'm right to have any hopes for how someone else will turn out. In any case, he's funny and silly and we have shtick together that can last a lifetime. Also he's inquisitive and currently trying to read everything he can get his hands on. He's also popular, something I haven't been since 1978, so I'm hoping he enjoys it while it lasts. Watching the Iron Giant and having a cry together on the couch gives me hope for future generations.
I bought my first house. Well, actually my wife bought it, but I helped a little. I realized my goal of living right downtown, and my dream of not having a yard. I also managed to make my other dream a reality, the one where a sexy schoolteacher's car breaks down and.. oh shit, never mind.
I learned to drive. Technically this happened in '99, but my final license was obtained in the oughts, and so counts for this decade. After years of cold, fruitless waits, work lateness and a complete lack of female companionship i did what I should have done in the first place and got my ass in gear, so to speak.
I made some new friends for the first time since high school. After a progressively fragmentary group got small enough to count on my fingers, I went out and did the impossible, made some actual new friends that I care about. The great thing is that they've fooled me into thinking that the feeling is reciprocated although we all know that I'm really quite an odious little man who presence can never be anything more than barely stomached.
I went to New York. Realizing a lifelong dream to spend gobs of money in a tiny technology filled island, I hit NYC and saw three honest to god broadway shows. Now I just have to save money for seventeen more years so I can afford to go back.
I got fat. At the beginning of the decade I was 35 pounds lighter than I am right now. Getting fat sucks, it depresses me, but not eating every single thing I want to whenever I want to depresses me more. Viva la bam!
I'm sure there's more, but these are the high points as I am concerned. From a stats perspective, here it goes:
2 Industrial films
2 blogs
200 CD's
300 DVD's
500+ movies
20 plays
30 books
25 new recipes
3 cars
1 apartment
1 computer
1 iPod
I gave up my dream. I seriously planned to open a video store and was raising the money to do it, I incorporated, bought some back stock, and had a kickass business plan. Then, I gave it up. Reality kicked my ass on that front, folks.
I sold out to the man. I have worked for not one, not two, but three different soul crushing industries in the last five years. Yup, cars, banks and telecom, the three biggest economic oligarchies around (I suppose I could have worked for Hydro just to complete the grand slam, but there's still half a decade left for that) have all had the pleasure of my service and my sunny disposition. Here's what I've learned about the world of work. It can't be enjoyed, it can be barely tolerated, unless it's really busy with meaningless task, in which case it can be gotten through. I find it almost impossible to be friends with the people at work because without those divisions my life will become too entangled, and yet when asked what I like about my job I will invariably answer "well, the people are nice."
I did a pretty good job so far with the kid. Max is turning out almost exactly as I had hoped, although who knows anymore if that's good or not, or even whether I'm right to have any hopes for how someone else will turn out. In any case, he's funny and silly and we have shtick together that can last a lifetime. Also he's inquisitive and currently trying to read everything he can get his hands on. He's also popular, something I haven't been since 1978, so I'm hoping he enjoys it while it lasts. Watching the Iron Giant and having a cry together on the couch gives me hope for future generations.
I bought my first house. Well, actually my wife bought it, but I helped a little. I realized my goal of living right downtown, and my dream of not having a yard. I also managed to make my other dream a reality, the one where a sexy schoolteacher's car breaks down and.. oh shit, never mind.
I learned to drive. Technically this happened in '99, but my final license was obtained in the oughts, and so counts for this decade. After years of cold, fruitless waits, work lateness and a complete lack of female companionship i did what I should have done in the first place and got my ass in gear, so to speak.
I made some new friends for the first time since high school. After a progressively fragmentary group got small enough to count on my fingers, I went out and did the impossible, made some actual new friends that I care about. The great thing is that they've fooled me into thinking that the feeling is reciprocated although we all know that I'm really quite an odious little man who presence can never be anything more than barely stomached.
I went to New York. Realizing a lifelong dream to spend gobs of money in a tiny technology filled island, I hit NYC and saw three honest to god broadway shows. Now I just have to save money for seventeen more years so I can afford to go back.
I got fat. At the beginning of the decade I was 35 pounds lighter than I am right now. Getting fat sucks, it depresses me, but not eating every single thing I want to whenever I want to depresses me more. Viva la bam!
I'm sure there's more, but these are the high points as I am concerned. From a stats perspective, here it goes:
2 Industrial films
2 blogs
200 CD's
300 DVD's
500+ movies
20 plays
30 books
25 new recipes
3 cars
1 apartment
1 computer
1 iPod
posted by Mattvideo at 10:18 AM
2 Comments:
Maybe an amendment at the end of the list, along the lines of "1 fully functional MINIATURE HUMAN FUCKING BEING?!"
-Tederick
p.s. not everyone has yet caught on to the "odious."
I think that you are being a little hard on your self!
First of all work doesn't not have to be that place you go to everyday and look at the clock till the day ends. I know this sounds like a cliche, but work can be fun. I actually love my job. That's not because I am a geek, or stupid or naive. I actually enjoy what I do. I think that it is so important. We spend more of our life at work than we do with our family and friends, and it has to mean more. I think you need to change jobs. Why did you give up your passion? your dream? Is there anything else you want to do? I always thought you would write, maybe a screenplay or sitcom. You are a lot more talented than you give yourself credit for.
That's all from me.
Hug and kiss, for what it is worth
Post a Comment
<< Home