Day of General Strike (listening to Johnny Cash)

Good morning,

 

Today is the first time I've gotten out of bed 'late' in a long time, perhaps weeks. I'm not beating myself up about it, I was working pretty for a long time yesterday, I didn't even get to play Skyrim (note to self: don't play skyrim yet). Today is a general strike with predominantly public sector workers. According to the news, this is the biggest strike action for a generation. I wonder who will be our Bob Dylan and Herbert Marcuse of our generation? Billy Bragg and Slavoj Zizek? That zizucks.

As an historical document, I will tell you that I plan to do what many people are trying to do on this day: find work. I got a call yesterday from a recruitment consultant, which I'll follow up. In addition I will try to get on with my timetable, there are lots of applications, lots of MA's and PhDs to think about applying to. I've got lots of petty administration jobs to think about applying to as well. My life isn't going very well, but I need to get up out of bed and keep trying all the same. Killing myself or laying in bed; sleeping until 5pm and then just damning the world for getting up too late; spending only evenings out of bed mainly because I need to have a shit and eat; going outside only for a chinese takeaway, are not viable options for me anymore. I need to pick up the pieces and get on with my life.

I was reminded of picking up the pieces as a metaphor, when people at work were talking about New Years. After Christmas and New Years, there is a period where you can still keep xmas decorations, but you will have to take them down at some point. That time of year really depresses me. It reminds me of when I slept with my girlfriend, and I had to go back to my flat, or she had to go back to her home. I hate saying goodbye when I am too fond of something, it makes absence all the more painful. That's what picking up the pieces means to me, it ain't fun, it ain't glamorous, but you have to do it. You have to say goodbye sometimes, you have to tidy up, you have to move on.

Life is pretty shit for me. There are lots of opinions out there today about the strike. People hate that there is a strike, others say that public sectors have it too good. I have a banker friend who supports the public sector strike (unusual, but also surprisingly noble). The funny thing is about where I work, I'm stuck between the true of evil according to some newspapers, as well as the ordinary proletarian folk.

I don't know what will happen in the future. My future is not up to me, when so much hangs on the current government. I can try applying for jobs and such, but they determine the superstructure. I'm powerless (oh, why did I have to end the post on a depressing note?) I'm going to cheer myself up with bacon now.