Do You Agree

Hmm, I have a lot of thoughts. First, yeah people are way more positive than most things warrant, but the opposite is also true people think things are worse than they are. I watch at least two videos a week with someone convinced everything is on the verge of collapse (economic, political, etc.) but the week comes to an end, or it comes to the end of their prediction period and what do you know? nothing much has changed.

I’m also, in general in favor of destruction. The destabilizing things wouldn’t hurt me, or anyone I care about. Largely, they’d hurt people who are wealthy, stable, and frankly don’t have enough problems to live in the modern world. Sometimes I wonder if the doom saying is to discourage people like me, but I’m not THAT invested in an outcome.

Things favor more of the same, and thus are boring and encourage apathy. No arguments at all there.

I’m trying to find meaning, and reason to live. It won’t be coming from work, abscent a miracle. Well, it won’t come from working for a traditional employer. Work just applies to expended effort, and I do a fair bit of that. It’s just I don’t get paid for it, at least not directly.

See, and here’s where I argue mostly; employment is not required. None of the things that they are scaring you about are worse than the average state of working (I live in an anti union state, maybe it’s different elsewhere?) Because I was constantly being threatened with homelessness and starvation, I looked into it, and I could endure either easier than another job interview, another six months of work for a job that is either going to lay me off or go out of business before I ever get even minimum wage compensation for my effort.

so I’ll take it one by one.

First; homelessness. This is an area I’m somewhat blessed in, as I have equity in my home, but it’s a dual edged sword. I absolutely don’t get renters, at least renters living in my city; so you’re paying above market rates to live in a place that costs you more to live in than it leaves you to eat at the end of the day? There are thousands of acres of unused land within a reasonably trip to a grocery store (and we’ll get into food, be patient).
Oh but shelter? Pick the right land, you can camp on it. Your expenses are so low that even with odd jobs you can raise the $1-3k for a basic shelter, then the same amount over again eventually to get modern appliances. Until then; primitive camp, cook your food over a fire, wash clothes in whatever clean water you can get. It’s not great, but it’s better than wage slavery (in my opinion, have to add that, because I suppose some people would rather get yelled at by their boss and customers more than build a fire….. no idea how that works, seriously.) Get a sub zero sleeping bag; $70. You can get $70, heck a lot of homeless organizations will give you a sleeping bag and a tent for free… so that’s an obstacle cleared.

The ideal is to save a bit, clear those lower needs fast. Most people get enough in tax return to drop off grid, and that includes buying a piece of land. If you own a $1000 piece of land outside of town, do you know what the taxes are on that? (and taxes are all you’ll owe) $50. That’d damn survivable spread out over 12 months.

The main thing stopping me from doing it is that my family wants to subsidize me living a semi respectable life, and it’s a bad time to sell. I have threatened, and would again, to go to one of those cash for houses places and cash out rather than perform work that I hate. It’s a paper tiger society holds out that you’d instantly lose everything. Most of the time, the supports are there, as long as you don’t have a substance abuse problem.

Oh, aside; my medical under medicaid expansion (for which I pay nothing) is better than any job I worked for in my 15 years of work. I have no copays, I never have to make a choice between a vital proceedure and paying bills. Most jobs didn’t pay me enough to make my copays, what even is the deal with that? Who works to get sicker, poorer, and more helpless? Not me, that’s for sure.

Right, starvation. Inflation has been very revealing to me on what is essential and what is fluff. You need protein, carbs and nutrients to stay alive. Protein is protein (as I learned in my brief body building phase.) Price out protein based on that factor, and you’ll find you can eat cheaper. Eggs are back down and probably still the best bang for your buck. Rice is amazing for carbs. Then you need some semi regular green veggies (canned is cheapest), and fruits and other color veggies.

If your budget is higher, you can get more, but to actually survive doesn’t cost that much. Also, there are ways to get food for very cheap to free.

so that’s a paper tiger too. I’m on food assistance, personally, and now that I have time to cook I’m eating better than at any other point in my adult life. Americans especially eat a lot of garbage, going without is better.

I’m challenged enough with what I’ve got going. Sure, I could be more motivated. I used to be that. But when I don’t care if I die, what can they hold out against me?

I’m a fricken hostage to my friends and family, and I’m fully capable of breaking out if it was unpleasant enough.

There’s nothing I’ve talked about worse than my last two jobs. I was so sick, and so constantly tired, and miserable enough that from time to time I became enthusiastically suicidal, hungry for it like a person at the end of a marathon is hungry for food.

I can deal with being nothing, meaning nothing, because it’s not that much less than being an underpaid servant for rich a**holes. Alot less if I manage to complete my escape plan

but even suppose I don’t or it takes me another decade, that’d be okay too. I’ve got my books, and various other amusements. Even so, each day that passes brings me closer to my natural end. No one gets that mad at people who die from getting old.

maybe I put too high a value on people I care about liking me? Or perhaps I’m too patient?