Excluding when you were an adolescent, what's the longest you've gone without having a job?
In recent times, right now is probably the longest I've gone without a job. I've been unemployed for nearly a whole year, but I hope to see that change soon. Thankfully, I had 10K before I quit my last job, but that is gradually dwindling away to nothing without a source of income.
By "job", would that be meaning to encompass self employment/running one's own bizzo too?
Think the last time i participated in the employment slavery system would've been at least a decade ago as a contractor,...though can't recall exactly what year.
However i do clearly remember what went down during the final days.
i guess technically the longest i've been unemployed is at least a decade.
The last job was where i'd completed a contract, yet hadn't been paid a cent.
And the client outright refused to cough up unless committing to another major contract—but at a significant discount—which was to include the total outstanding from the initial contract-minus the new proposed discount.
Attempts at reasoning with the client failed, thus i inevitably declined and requested fulfilment of the contract terms.(*this took hours of heated discussion)
Which is when things became,...🤔...."interesting".
It came down to necessitating allusion to potential lawyer involvement, which changed the client's mind-reluctantly agreeing to cough up, they even agreed to reassess their new contract proposal at my standard rate—but i'd have to meet a rep in the city the following day.
So i thought it was all good, fully expecting to enter another contract at the same site—that being several hours driving to a remote location.
(*i left all my blimmen equipment)
i did meet the rep, and was handed a cheque—minus roughly 25%—of course i demanded an explanation.
He informed me that the client believes i owe them reimbursement for certain materials they claim to have supplied-(*which was absurd. i had all the receipts proving i had supplied & paid for all materials—furthermore i'd also already passed on my contractors discount to the client, so this was an additional kick in the guts.)
The rep seemed evasive af, simply telling me to go take it up with the client in person.
Hours later i arrived at the site to find the client with what appeared to be some unidentified crew, all laughing cheerfully while watching one of them rip up a paddock with the dozer,...
...i already had a bad feeling, which only got worse when their demeanour turned grim upon noticing me coming down the long driveway.
Admittedly this whole scenario was quite alarming, well, it was actually terrifying really, but i kept calm.
Basically the client began berating me & demanded i sign the new contract(*@~60% off) then & there and immediately get to work.
i declined and said i'm done, i'm loading up my equipment, you'll have to find another contractor.
(*All while the unidentified crew slowly surrounded the two of us.)
Pfft, i knew what was happening at that point.
The options were; acquiesce & sign, run like hell & hope to make it to the truck(*now blocked in by the prick in the dozer),...refuse & either be hospitalized-but more likely "disappeared"—or create another option.
And as frickin angry as i was, ya learn a thing or two growing up in a gang infested city, thusly i concealed my-(*at that point)-rage and maintained an outward appearance of seeming naivety to the actual sitch.
The client continued by not so subtly implying that if i attempt to load up my equipment—imma get shot—followed up by saying in a manner as if to be joking—that people have gone missing out there before.
They all laughed—i obviously didn't, yet in keeping with the naivety act-had feigned as if i'd simply missed the retarded "joke".
Once that BS subsided there was a moment of extremely awkward/intense silence, which i think was when they (*the "crew") had been about to pack me in if given the clients signal.
At this moment it's like time had slowed down from my perspective, i didn't hesitate to begin busting out a technical gish gallop thereby essentially hijacking the situation and flooding the client with a fabricated-(*though accurate & excessively detailed)-rundown of materials, additional equipment, contract paperwork, etc for the work being demanded.
Must've been pretty convincing because the client eventually told me to shut up-piss of back to the city-get everything sorted-& to be back later that avo—but if i failed to return he knows where i live.(*a bluff)
Thus i was allowed to leave—though certainly never went back to get my equipment—& shot, nor was i stupid enough to report any of this to the corrupt "authorities".
(*The client would be able to find my address via resulting legal documents.)
i appreciate that possibly everyone else here on this forum will still believe in the system we've been brought up within—and so may likely find what i share to be uncouth or whatever,...which i can respect because i would have once as well.
There are obvious criminals—yet there are much worse criminals who appear as if not to be.
They wear suits, are well versed in "Law", they own fancy sh#t, and dominate positions throughout the upper tiers of society.
They are politicians, CEOs, lawyers, senators, judges, police, military, etcetera-etc.....
😄For all anyone knows some of you may even be of this ilk-or perhaps aware.
Take pause before reacting to this post if so choosing.
Ask yourself why i would be sharing this?
What could there possibly be to gain by doing so?
It's no secret that most react with general hostility to such commentary—therefore to assume i would be so ignorant as to post as such—would be an illogical (*& erroneous) conclusion.
i expect to be perceived as a "crazy person" or whatever, by most and i expect hostility in response—i am aware of the significant detriment for which this will expose upon my digital character....yet i do it anyway.
Why?
Why would i share this whilst fully cognizant of the highly probable result being of gaining nothing and losing something?
Could it be that i am not for whom this is intended to be of benefit.
How could i be unemployed for over a decade and yet not be some broke a## bum.
If familiar with Plato's Republic - specifically the Cave Allegory, why does one return to those still bedazzled by shadow silhouettes- imprisoned within the cave?
😶
