Old Soldiers...

We all have to work jobs to get by in life. Believe me, Ive had quite a few jobs. I love to work, actually. I like the routine, new people, the fun I have. Sometimes it definitely sucks. Bosses suck. Customers suck. Your corporate masters suck. Not being free that night to go do shit with your friends or spend time with your girl sucks. But we all do it cause its necessary. Its how we pay to be able to have a place to put our stuff and be able to go out and do our shit. Its an accepted form of the big picture.

Some people make thier dayjobs the totalization of who they are. Ive done that, sure. Like, im defined by where i work, how much I make there and if i can move up in that company. But I dont do that often. Lately Ive felt bummed because I got a degree and twelve years of management experience, jocked registers since I was 16, and still i cannot find a job thats either full time or pays me beyond minimum wage. I beat myself up over it as you know. But I cannot give up and live off of the government because I come from that minimum wage work ethic. Its something my dad instilled in me. You want something, you have to earn it.

In this struggle of life we All do, we can beat ourselves up, let customers get to us or let upper management tell us what they think we should do, say, dress like and be like. But the only thing that makes all of it tolerable is your co-workers. If you are blessed to have a job where you work with people who make the day funner, distract you from the mundane details, or understand your rants and struggles at the job, because they have them too. You're both soldiers in the trenches of a war. And always, one day the war ends for one of you. You move on. You got out. You've been promoted by life or paroled out of hell. You're leaving the job. Your co-workers are sad to see you go and you know the decision was hard because what if your new job isnt as fun as these people made it to be? We've been through a lot together. Customers, bosses, the war of our lives. Or maybe you find out your favorite person to talk to at your job is leaving. You're sad to see them go, but happy for them. They made it. They got out! You envy them and thier journey forward. You might remain friends, sure. But thats rare. You'll never have them in your life quite like that again. At most you'll be another one of thier facebook friends. You'll keep up casually. Maybe run into them at the grocery store. You'll catch up and tell about all your new happenings in life. But eventually will start swapping the old war stories. Like a clipshow sitcom. Reliving the laughs. And missing them all over again when they finally seperate again from you.

Ive had a lot of jobs. Ive made a lot of friends. And a few enemies here and there. But you never remember them as much as your old war buddy. You both made it out. Thats why I never understood people who are mean at work. We all have to spend a great portion of our lives at a job. Why not be cool with the people around you? Its a weird connection to me. But oh well.

Illl stop and think about my old war buddies often. Ill hit them up on FB and tell them im thinking of them. They throw me a LIKE sometimes on a thing I say, and i know they are remembering me too. It is WE who connected and made each other's life tolerable for a short while. And I will miss them greatly. You cant repeat the war stories with your new work buddy because it wont feel the same. It just becomes a story. Something that happened. A place in time. Memories drift into nothingness. But for a time, it was real.

This is a shout out to all my old soldiers ive had the privledge of serving time with. We made it out. And i will never forget you. And even sometimes I dream we're all together again in the same place. And it feels like yesterday. Time changes nothing. Cause in my heart and head, im always with you. Best of luck to your futures.

T