Blog Love Omega Glee: Reminded Again That It's Expensive Being Poor (28 March 2012)

"Don't tell Dad yet please. I need a few more days of peace before he starts hounding me to find another job," Jake quietly tells his mom, as they do dishes together after dinner, "But I got laid off from the radio station today."

"Oh, Honey, I'm so sorry," Mom says, giving him a hug, leaving wet handprints on his shirt, "Oh, sorry about that too. I should have dried my hands first"

"It's all right. It'll dry."

"Are you done at the station then? What happened?" Mom says, going back to the sink.

"Well, at least it wasn't anything I did. Basically the station got bought out by Mindless Media, the huge broadcasting conglomerate, and they're going to automate everything, and pipe in their syndicated programs mostly, so pretty much everybody's out of a job. The changeover won't be complete for a couple of weeks, so we'll work until then, and then we get a week or two of severance pay," Jake says, drying another dish.

"That's terrible, all those people out of work!" Mom says, washing a pan, "And though that station wasn't very good, at least it was local. Now it's all going to be national programming?"

"Mostly right wing talk shows as far as I can tell. Mindless Media is pretty conservative."

"Boy, I tell you. Just what we needed, more propaganda. People are foolish enough as is, without someone trying to coordinate all their foolishness."

"Yeah, well, that's the least of my worries. That job wasn't good, but at least it was a job. I just signed up for wrestling training, and that was expensive, and now I don't know if I can afford it, or if I get a new job, if the wrestling classes will fit in my schedule now. And I had to make a deposit with the dentist just to get an appointment because I don't have dental insurance. It's expensive enough being poor and having a job. I don't need to be reminded how much more it's expensive when you're poor and unemployed."

"Oh, you don't have to worry, Dear. Your father and I will always take care of you. You'll always have a roof over your head and food. Lots of people don't have that security even."

"I know, Mom, and thanks, but I'm twenty-five years old. I shouldn't have to depend on my parents for survival. I kind of feel like a failure."

"Well, it's not your fault. The economy's bad. Lots of people don't have jobs. You'll find another one. Maybe see if some other radio stations are hiring."

"Well, I don't think there are. They're all just about owned by Mindless Media, or another media behemoth, and automated. I don't know what I'm going to do," Jake says, opening up a cupboard to put away a glass, "Plus I'm sure someone will hire Skip or Tony or Marcela before me since they have more experience. They'll all be out looking for jobs too. Well, except for Tony, he said he might just work on his side-businesses full-time."

"What are his side-businesses? Maybe he'll need some help with them," Mom asks.

"They're all variations on Internet pornography or gambling, or both. One website is people playing Texas hold 'em strip poker I think. He showed me that one once and wanted me to bet on how big, um, bet on something or other."

"Oh, good grief. Well, stay away from him, and don't do anything like that. Wash dishes if you have to," Mom says, putting another dish in the rack, "But don't give up. I believe in you."

"Thanks, Mom. Dishwashing's probably all automated these days too. Machines seem to be replacing people at jobs quite rapidly. I wish with all this newfound efficiency and machine-labor that we all got to enjoy more leisure, but society still seems to want us to work a job, even when there's no jobs to be found."

Mom laughs, "Please. If there's one thing that can always be found more of, it's work. The only hard part is getting paid to do it."

Blog Love Omega Glee is a novel by Wred Fright about two bloggers who fall in love while the world falls apart, which is being serialized on his blog. To start reading from the beginning or read another installment, please visit Blog Love Omega Glee Central on WredFright.Com. If you like what you've read, or you've read all of Blog Love Omega Glee and want more Fright, then please read his first novel, which is available in print and as an ebook.