Not Working by DW Gibson

I just finished reading Not Working by author DW Gibson. In the book he crisscrosses the U.S. conducting 59 interviews with various people who've recently lost their jobs. From recent grads to those who had worked for their companies for over 30 years, they all had stories to tell.

One sentiment many of them expressed was disillusionment. The American dream of security, prosperity, independence was a distant and now unachievable goal. Lives were crushed along with all hope of a financially secure future.

The stories of the older folks were the saddest - The dedicated ones who loyally served their employers through thick and thin for 20 or 30 or more years. Many were turfed with little or no compensation after a merger or because of the economic downturn. Most of them were over 50 and had little or no hope of finding a new job. Who would hire someone that age after all? Meanwhile their CEOs walked away with millions in bonuses in recognition of their cost cutting measures.

To top it off most had no health insurance after being laid off (This was America after all - Land of the free and now desperately poor).  No savings, no job and no way to pay their mortgages. Many ended up selling the very homes they shed blood and tears to purchase. That and they drained whatever retirement funds they accumulated to that point just to put food on the table. The American dream had turned into a brutish nightmare.

I could relate to many of them. My story was eerily similar to some. So, instead of rehashing any of their interviews I figure I could share mine.

I was laid off Friday, June 26, 2009 - The day after Michael Jackson died. I remember driving home in a state of shock after the morning meeting and hearing on the radio that he had just passed away. The whole situation was so very surreal.

I had been working for my company since the summer of 1988. I had it in my mind it would be my summer job after completing my first year of Graphic Design at George Brown College. Little did I know I'd still be there some 21 years later.

Back then we were privately owned by the Francis family. Bill Francis founded the Ontario version of Auto Trader. His son, John, succeeded him after he retired.

At the end of 2005 Yellow Pages Group (YPG) bought Auto Trader (Trader Corporation) from the Francis family for $436 million ($135 in cash, the rest in stocks). That was the beginning of the end for most Trader employees.

Shortly after announcing there would be no layoffs the layoffs began. It was a complete shock at first. After all, through thick and thin, the Francis' never let anyone go. We were a family back then and were treated as such.

After the first wave of layoffs people began to settle down. But, then it happened again. And again. And again.

We noticed a pattern. The people who had been around the longest (and therefore were earning the most) started disappearing first.

I suppose I was pretty lucky. I lasted a whole 3-1/2 years after the initial takeover. But, on that fateful day back in 2009 I was let go along with one of my co-workers, Dawn, with whom I worked on our New Homes and Condo Guide magazines and, Steve, who had served with the company for about 28 years. He was one of the longest serving employees there.

I can't remember which one of us was called into the small meeting room first. I just remember meeting with my boss Stefan and an HR lady. I don't even really remember what was said. They gave me a envelope with some papers in it. There was a severance package and rules about what I was supposed to do and not supposed to do (like not contacting my friends who still worked there or not revealing how much my severance pay was which I still did anyway).

I was escorted back to my desk by the HR lady to pick up my belongings. Quite a few of my co-workers were shocked and started crying. I have to admit I was sad about that. I had a lot of friends there (though I have to say most of them are now gone due to more aggressive layoffs). That was the worst thing about leaving.

The corporate culture has changed. There is no loyalty from company to employee. It's all about the bottom line. We'll drop you like a hot coal if we can find someone new who is willing to do what you do for half as much. There is a lot of selfishness and greed out there. In a way I can understand it, but I can't say I agree with it.

In the days immediately after being laid off I was sort of in a daze (which is how many people in the book described themselves feeling). After going to work day in and day out for so many years it felt weird being home on a weekday. I sort of felt like I was playing hooky.

Also I was kind of scared. I remember going downtown on the weekend and feeling thirsty at one point. But I was too scared to buy anything to drink because I thought, do I have enough money saved up to dare spend any of it?

Of course, being the frugal person I am, I was financial sound. I don't think I could have actually retired at that point in my life. But I figured I should be able to get by even if I earned minimum wage until retirement age. That lifted a huge weight off my mind.

Still, I couldn't go out and spend money irresponsibly. I had to be a lot more cognizant of my spending habits. There would be no more going out and buying clothes on a semi-regular basis. I'd have to stretch out purchases a little longer. I had to balance my wants versus needs. So those perks were gone. It wasn't a major adjustment, but one I had to make nonetheless.

I have to say I'm a lot luckier than a lot of folks out there (which is scary). Especially the ones in the book. To live with such uncertainty can be debilitating. You can never been too prepared. That's why you have to save, save, save. Because you never know when you might become the next statistic the next time some corporate head honcho decides he want another multi-thousand/multi-million dollar year end bonus.

OOTC - Dishwashing Crew 2013

This is our Out of the Cold dishwashing crew v. 2013. Joe is the only holdout from last year (and the year before that where he was helping in the gym). Young-Wha, Di, Sam and Angela are recent additions to the team.

Joe is Mr. Reliable. He rarely misses a week. He pre-scrubs an endless number of dirty pots and pans. Young-Wha and Di are great at quickly putting away all the clean dishes that I give them fresh (and steaming hot) from the dishwasher. Sam and Angela are reliable back up if either Di or Young-Wha are away.

Without these guys clean up would be impossible. I truly appreciate all their hard work!

Bully: The Movie

Alex, Kelby

I watched the movie Bully recently. It's a movie that I've been wanting to see ever since it came out in 2011. Directed by Lee Hirsch it's a documentary about peer to peer bullying in the American public school system. I'm sure what happened there can be extrapolated to include most schools worldwide.

While the subject of bullying isn't new it's still very painful to watch. The film follows a number of young students around and documents the abuse they endure each time the set foot outside their homes.

Kids are picked on (to an alarming degree) both physically and mentally because they are smaller, skinnier, look different or because of their sexual orientation. They are ostracized, put down and tormented constantly. Sometimes they manage to cope with help from their family or close friends. But, tragically, some find suicide their only escape.

I believe part of the problem (at least in this movie) lies with the school and the school board. They're either ignorant about the problem or they don't care enough to do anything about it. They say things like, "Kids will be kids." as if that's a valid excuse to ignore bullying. Of course, Kids will be kids. But, sometimes they have trouble grasping how damaging their taunting can be. As educators it's your job to teach them.

As well, intolerance is bred into some communities. There are so-called "Christian" communities in the U.S. (and elsewhere I'm sure) which preach hatred. Young people who don't fit in (i.e. gay or lesbian) are shunned. And it goes even further. Not only are they shunned, but their families are too. It's disgraceful. I suppose this is a worldwide problem.

One scene that infuriated me was when the principal at one school takes a young bullying victim aside after recess and asks him how he's doing. He's upset and tells her that this fellow has been bullying him. It's something that's been going on for awhile. The principal sees the bully and calls him over and tells the two of them (victim and bully) to shake hands as if this will magically mend fences. The victim refuses and is admonished by the principal. She tells him he's as bad as the bully for not shaking his hand (which is pretty f**k'd up if you ask me). He already feels like sh*t and you're making him feel even worse. Good job, you moron. The victim tells her the bully doesn't mean it and is just going through the motions, but the principal doesn't seem to understand. She seems to believe all the children under her stead are gentle, harmless souls without any fault.

One of the saddest moments was when one young boy (who was probably around 8 or 9) helped carry the casket of one of his friends (similar age) at his funeral. This was after he committed suicide due to being excessively bullied. It was heartbreaking. He (the boy who helped carry the casket) was once a bully himself, but realized the error of his ways and befriended this young lad. Still, this friendship wasn't enough to suppress the immense pain this lad felt and keep him from taking his own life.

I think this movie is a must see for anyone 8-years-old and up. It's such a valuable teaching tool and is sure to have a positive impact on anyone who watches it.

Reflections: Self-Identity

I picked up a book from the library on the weekend by DW Gibson called Not Working. In it he interviews people (I believe Americans) who've recently lost their jobs (from 2007-2011).

I have to say I've only just started it. So I won't have anything to say about the book per se until later (though one thing I can say right now is that I found an error right off the bat. They spelt President Ronald Reagan's name incorrectly twice as "Regan" on page four).

Anyway, the book got me thinking about how much of our identity and even self-worth is based upon what we do for work. At times it's as much or even more of a determinant than our relationship with our friends or family. When we introduce ourselves to strangers one of the first things discussed is what one does for work.

You may say to yourself, "Wow, I'm a lawyer. I'm so successful. I feel great."

Or, just the opposite, "I'm 45-years-old and work at Walmart stocking shelves. I feel so ashamed."

I know people like this. And from some of the interviews I've had a chance to read in the book, others feel the same way too. It's like they've gone to university and got this degree and that degree and they expect a certain level of employment when they enter the workforce.

But, in these trying times, options are limited. You're faced with the decision of swallowing your pride and taking a job serving vanilla lattes to spoiled exchange students to earn money to put food on the table and keep a roof over your head. That, or lining up at the food bank every week and couch surfing at your friends' apartments while fretting about how to pay back your massive student loan. It can be quite the dilemma.

It's strange... but we really do seem to care about what other think of us/how they see us. It's like we need the approval of others to feel like we're of worth. Perhaps that's why fame is so sought after by some. For me, I'm not sure I can fully understand why that is.

Hosu with the OOTC Gang

Last Sunday I rounded up a few of my fellow dishwashing buddies from the Out of the Cold program at Knox church for lunch. We went to Hosu on Queen (and John). They serve Japanese and Korean fare.

In the photo are Di, Young-Wha and Joe. Joe has been helping at Knox for  about 3 years. In his second year I recruited him to help me wash dishes. He's been a great asset.

Di and Young-Wha started helping this year. They're invaluable cogs in our machine. Without them we wouldn't get anything done. They're so efficient in putting away the dishes that Joe and I wash. I'm so thankful for all of them.

There are a couple of other helpers who couldn't make it this time - Sam and Angela. Hopefully they'll make it out the next time we meet up.

Rancho Relaxo, again

I went to Rancho Relaxo again for dinner with my friend. We had another LivingSocial.com $40 voucher. Unfortunately you can't buy any alcoholic beverages with it so we stuck with food items. Last time we had two entrées and dessert. This time we thought we'd try three entrées instead.

I have to say whenever I have a favorite dish at a particular type of restaurant I usually stick with it. I don't know if it's not being adventurous rather than sticking with what I really enjoy. When I go Mexican I usually order steak Enchiladas. Last time we ate here my friend had the Pescado de Corona (which is Atlantic grouper with a smooth avocado mousse). To hit our $40 spending limit we added a chicken Quesadilla. Steak, chicken and fish... yummm. Each dish was rounded off with salad, refried beans and rice.

How to Unclog your Sink

Over time gunk builds up in everyone's household drains I'm sure. It happened to me with my ensuite sink recently. Hair and other bits of glop make their way into the drain and slowly begin to block the flow of water from exiting.

At first I began trying to pick the stuff out with a Q-tip. That didn't work very well. So I moved onto a screwdriver and a pair of pliers which didn't fare much better. The space was just too tight.

Being the impatient guy that I am I decided instead of trying to pull the stuff out, I'd push it through the drain and just get it over with. Well, that didn't quite work. For all my effort I just ended up completely clogging the drain. That was a dumb move.

My next bright idea was to unbend a coat hanger and force it down the drain to remove the obstruction. That didn't work either. The coat hanger was too stiff. It wouldn't bend at the elbow part of the drain pipe, so I couldn't push the blockage any further.

I then remembered seeing an ad on TV for a can of pressurized air or something that you could put over the opening of the drain and release the gas and it would clear the obstruction. Since I didn't have that handy I decided to make my own.

I looked around my place and found an empty Keri hand lotion bottle. I unscrewed the top and filled it with water. Next I half filled the sink with water and quickly flipped the bottle upside down into the drain and squeezed forcing the water out. After a few more squeezes the blockage was completely removed and the sink drained as if it were completely new.

Now I don't know if this technique will work in all cases. Perhaps if the blockage isn't too severe it has a chance. I can say it's probably safe because it's a low pressure technique. So it most likely won't damage your pipes.