Rock Bottom (929 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.47 on 33 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by <murphydog5.at.hotmail.com> (View user info) at 2004-06-29 17:05:04 EDT
Put yourself in this position. Be creative, really make it your own!
You wake up on a Wednesday morning with no cash, an eighth tank of fuel in your automobile, no cigarettes, and a blistering hangover. But no worries because you're expecting a check in the mail for a few hundred dollars to replinish all of these things. You check the mailbox, waiting for a check, and instead find an envelope with a letter advising you that you have exhausted all funds owed to you.
You stand back, put your hand on your head, run your fingers through your hair, and say "shit." You think "what the fuck am I going to do." You're really put through the test at this point.
Nothing like this happened to me or anyone else I know but it sure would be shitty, huh? Just kidding this happened to me last Wednesday. Instead of sighing "shit," though, I think it was more like "OH FUCK I DON'T EVEN HAVE A CIGARETTE TO SMOKE I'M TOTALLY FUCKED. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK!!! SHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTT!!! CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNT!!! Fuck."
So I did what desperate people who still have pride enough not to ask for money do. I went to Labor Ready.
I was laid off from a pretty good job last December. Since then, I've collected unemployment benefits, finished my last quarter at school, and pissed away every remaining cent on alcohol, cigarettes, and food. And Magic cards, movies, clothes, and DVD's. In short, I've received thousands of dollars and I haven't saved a penny. I embrace these facts without any guilt. I made a series of very poor decisions and I own up to the position I PUT MYSELF IN.
A very good friend of mine visited from Chicago during this little stage in my life. We went to the bar and took turns buying pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon. After we both caught a little buzz, he asked me, in so many words, what the fuck I was doing with myself. I sighed, not really knowing. I said, "I don't know." He said something to me that has stuck. He said I was trying to hit rock bottom. I didn't really understand or agree with him at the time but I think he was right.
Once a human being hits rock bottom, he can only get better. If you think about it, that's pretty damn liberating. But CONSIOUSLY trying to hit it? That's fucking COOL!! I'M FUCKING COOL!
So this last Friday I went to Labor Ready, ready and willing to prostitute my labor out to the highest bidder. For those readers who don't know what Labor Ready is, let me explain. Labor Ready is a business that capitalizes on desperate people with no money. Contractors, small business owners, machine shops, or any other business that needs cheap labor goes through Labor Ready. They pay a minimal fee to Labor Ready in exchange for warm human beings that volunteer to be slaves for eight hours. And it pays cash the same day.
I went in to this place on Thursday afternoon, just to check it out and see how it works. Pulling up in my car, I practised my breathing, telling myself that everything would be okay. That everything works out in the end. I opened the glass door, the bells made a little jingle, and carrying myself with as much pride as I could muster, I approached the desk. "Hi," I said to the man behind the counter. "How does this thing work?"
The man behind the counter said, "show up tomorrow morning at 5:30 am with your I.D. and Social Security card and expect to work eight long hours under the sun for an employer who doesn't give two shits about you. Our logo is this: If your employer says jump, you fucking jump and, while you're jumping, you ask if you're jumping high enough. If he says higher, jump higher. Got it?"
I smiled.
The next morning I showed up at 5:30 am wearing running shoes.
Now I work in a machine shop with no air-conditioning, cutting steel pipes for nine bucks an hour. It could be worse, I suppose. My supervisor's name is Emilio. He's super super nice. He says he loves working there. And he's never asked me to jump!
Things will get better.
Thanks for reading.
Murphy
User Reviews
Submitted by mystiamoon (user info) at 2004-07-02 02:51:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Fabish (user info) at 2004-06-30 23:00:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I related to way too much of this post. A job's a job Murph. Make the best of it man. Glad to see things are slowly, but surely, coming through.
Submitted by Murphy1844 (user info) at 2004-06-30 17:05:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I'm writing a follow-up post to this to really steer you guys through a day of my work. Manly? Fuck yes, but there's something kind of cool about other men looking at you like you're manly. Blue collars are ALWAYS on top, which is a good thing, wink wink.
One more thing, if this isn't rock bottom, I guess I don't really want to explore any deeper. Let's comprimise: This is MY rock bottom. Things really couldn't get worse for ME.
Murphy
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2004-06-30 15:44:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
this is so manly I got chills
Submitted by Random Joe at 2004-06-30 15:24:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
If you were in my city I'd take you out and get you shitfaced for putting up with labor ready! Rock On!
Submitted by hidden101 (user info) at 2004-06-30 15:19:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Zoidberg (user info) at 2004-06-30 07:57:38 (#)
Ranking: 2
How butch
Guess you won't be a bottom after this experience
=====================================================
hahahahahahahahaha
hey Murph, sorry i missed your call last night. i actually went to bed at a decent hour, so i was sleeping when you called.
Submitted by sliver (user info) at 2004-06-30 15:14:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
i hope emilio rapes you
Submitted by spedmonkey (user info) at 2004-06-30 15:07:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Glad you're back, Murph. Hope things improve rapidly.
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2004-06-30 08:26:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Just drink through it.
;-)
Submitted by Zoidberg (user info) at 2004-06-30 07:57:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
How butch
Guess you won't be a bottom after this experience
Submitted by PWNstar (user info) at 2004-06-30 00:55:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
to the person who wrote the fight club quote
"Its only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything."
Submitted by Bigmike (user info) at 2004-06-29 23:39:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Missed you Murphy.
Submitted by conrad (user info) at 2004-06-29 22:23:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I have explored the nooks and crannies of Rock Bottom on several occasions, and what you have there isn't it, but it's a fine moment of realisation that compels one to the action that you have taken. You could have chosen routes out of your penury that could have led to rock bottom, to be sure, but you chose otherwise.
Submitted by euripidestrousers (user info) at 2004-06-29 21:27:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by the_lone_stranger (user info) at 2004-06-29 20:44:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Wow!
That same shit happened to me. Only I didn't drink much, just did a lot of drugs.
Rock bottom is a funny place. Thank God for taking care of my shit when I had no one to turn to.
Submitted by TripinDayZ420 (user info) at 2004-06-29 20:34:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
At least you had the common sense to get a fuckin job instead of sending off for more sit on your ass money. while i don't really condone the whole unemployment-blow-it-wll-on-shit theory, due to it being the employers tax dollars that fund it, I also know that I would definitely do the same thing. That is, I would most likely not have one tangible thing at the end of the money run. Kudos to you for gettin a fuckin job.
Submitted by genocidic001 (user info) at 2004-06-29 20:31:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
+1 For starting to pick yourself back up, but, you don't know what rock bottom is. You need to come down to Louisiana. . . . I WISH we had a freaking Labor Ready. . . .
Submitted by MickGinny (user info) at 2004-06-29 20:09:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
If I told you what the bottom was really like you would consider yourself pretty damn fortunate.
remember, you have no place to fall when your backs to the wall.
Good to hear from you murphy.
Submitted by danieldandy (user info) at 2004-06-29 19:50:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
i am now slightly motivated...to masturbate...no no no! must fight urge and be a better person!
Submitted by Quartermain (user info) at 2004-06-29 19:28:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
**Now I work in a machine shop with no air-conditioning, cutting steel pipes for nine bucks an hour.**
Sounds like my job, except I do more than just pipes. But, yeah, there is no air conditioning. But there is a radio, and gaint loading bay doors to let the air in.
Submitted by hidden101 (user info) at 2004-06-29 19:18:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
you cut steel??? that KICKS ASS!!!
you know, i sure do have a lot more money now that i don't drink and smoke.
i have confidence that you will be able to pull yourself out of this rut. a lot of people hit rock bottom, dude. for people like you, it doesn't last forever, thankfully.
Submitted by chipolatte (user info) at 2004-06-29 19:01:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Get back in the game. You know which game it is. I know which game it is.
What game is it?
Submitted by Lisa (user info) at 2004-06-29 18:49:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by someone (user info) at 2004-06-29 18:40:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
"only when you hit rock bottom, can you truely be saved", or something like that, from fight club.
Submitted by Razor (user info) at 2004-06-29 18:24:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Why don't you get a job waiting tables or something man? Probably you can get at least $12 an hour doing that.
Submitted by FatCock (user info) at 2004-06-29 18:19:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
fucking hippy. here's a hand out. diew!
Submitted by antluvdog (user info) at 2004-06-29 18:18:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Finish school. Then you can work for 14 dollars an hour under phosphorescent lamps for employers that WILL ask you to not only jump but build fucking skyscrapers so you can get as high as possible.
Welcome to life.
Submitted by Sounsexy00 (user info) at 2004-06-29 17:54:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
murphy-
missed you. no more hiatus for you. good comeback!
Hadley
these are the days.
Submitted by hairsphincter2 (user info) at 2004-06-29 17:54:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You know what I think. Until you get replaced by a seeing eye dog, you haven't hit rock bottom.
Spare some change?
Submitted by itchy (user info) at 2004-06-29 17:47:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
It should be a crime to waste that kind of potential. Glad to hear you are hanging in though. Learn some perspective, some humility, and some self respect. It is all sunshine and sugar plums from here on out, right?
(Same thing happened to me, btw, I just took out more loans 'cuz I iz smarte.)
Submitted by Yes (user info) at 2004-06-29 17:12:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
"You wake up on a Wednesday morning with no cash, an eighth tank of fuel in your automobile, no cigarettes, and a blistering hangover." sounds about right, except this only happens to me on days that end in "Y"...
Submitted by Herpes (user info) at 2004-06-29 17:08:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Been there...
...kinda still there.
Submitted by Phinch (user info) at 2004-06-29 17:08:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I was wondering where youv'e been murphy.
Glad you are alive.