Retirement
I always planned on ending up with more. That was the plan at least. I've worked at the same company for 29 years. I've spent most of my time here checking those gauges and pipes to make sure the machinery was still working correctly. Would you believe that I was only a year away from getting a full pension and retirement? All that ends today.
The plant is closing as the company tries to save money. They're shipping the jobs somewhere else. I don't know where, and it doesn't matter. They're not taking me. They're going to have robots and computers do the jobs. 29 years with the company and now when I'm just a year short of retirement they lay me off.
Sure, I get 3 months severance, but that won't even cover 2 months worth of bills. My wife got sick and can't work. We have medical bills to pay with less money, and the premiums keep going up. And at my age and with my specific skills, where I am going to get a job? No one is hiring "gauge pressure checkers."
They said it was going to be different. I don't know who "they" was, but all my life I've known that things were supposed to be different. Where did it all go wrong? I did the right thing. I worked hard. I was loyal to the company.
Whistle blows
Well, I'd better get going. That whistle is the signal that shift is over. And being that this was the last shift, there's nothing left to do here. Might as well go collect my last check before I leave.
I was never supposed to take pictures of where I worked because of secrecy or something. I don't suppose that will be an issue now. One picture to remember the place.
Click
Image Source: Pexels
Interesting bit of writing.
But It's real and not fiction to the many Auto workers being laid off recently.
Sort of encapsulates whats been happening to the Middle class workers for the last few decades always leaving the future in doubt, if there is any future at all. Were we sold a bill of goods and empty promises while those in power bleed our wealth away in rich sounding Retirement schemes?
Plan now.
Get out of their system.
Buy gold, silver, and maybe a bit of Crypto.
Wait... is this for real... are you "retiring" for this company? Many know that a great number of people in the military retire after 20 years... and they go on to other careers. You are one of the lucky ones to have been employed in the same company for 29 years.
What a great retirement/pension portfolio you have accumulated in all those years. Good luck in your next career. But wait... is this for real?Fortunately this isn't my actual situation. Mine isn't quite that bad. It's still a bit rough as it is for many people, but we're doing fine.
This is another installment in my #storyfromapicture series. I find a picture on Pexels that I think has an untold story, and I tell it. I am learning that people don't tend to check the tags though, so I'll try to put a disclaimed in the bottom of the post so I'm not unnecessarily worrying people. Thanks for your concern and encouragement though! It means a lot.
Sadly, there are going to be many, many people who have been contributing to 401(k), IRA, and pension plans who will see far less than they were expecting from their retirement savings. The plans they invested in are likely full of paper assets that won't be worth much, if anything.
I see hard time ahead, so it's important to save real wealth now. I know you're one who likes the Silver Eagles, so you're going to be ahead of most people. We need to be ready, not only to help ourselves, but also our friends, family, and neighbors... even the ones who didn't listen when we warned them far in advance.
(Not investment advice)
I'm still many years behind you, but I'm planning for the worst and hoping for better. But I think rough times for everyone are ahead.
It's just a piece of fiction I decided to write based on the picture. I like to search through the "new" pictures on Pexels. This is one I found a while ago and I needed to have the right creative juices to make the story work.
From a non-fiction standpoint, I think you're right and that there's a lot of hard times ahead. We need to prepare as best we can.
Thanks for stopping by!
So, I was all fired up to congratulate you on your retirement, but then I realized it was storyfromapicture, which is just as well, since the story ended up being a downer for the guy who slaved away for 29 years.
Gauge pressure checkers. Another job made obsolete by the coming AI apocalypse.
Sigh.
I'm sure something like this has been/is a reality for real people. It was just something that struck me as I was looking at the picture. I feel bad for people who go through stuff like that.
I don't know if that's a real job, but I had to come up with something. :/
Oh, no doubt many people get laid off unexpectedly, just before they could retire, or the like. I find it cool how you look at a picture and come up with what you do. It's an insight into the @themanwithnoname. :)
No worries on the job title. I'm sure there's someone out there who checks gauge pressure, and their colleagues are thankful for them.
OK I was just about to say "WTF!!.... Is there anything ssg can do to help?"
Then I read the comments and if I've got this right, it's a writing exercise? So glad it's just a story from a pic. And a good story at that, had me convinced. Although I did think gauge pressure checker was an easy sounding job.
Dude, thanks for being willing to rally the troops! It means a lot.
Yeah, it's just a writing thing that I started a while back. I search for pictures on Pexels and when I find one that "speaks to me" I write the story that I think it's telling.
Glad you found it convincing. I should have done something like having the guy call his job a "glorified" pressure checker. That would make it more realistic because it would imply that he actually does more.
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ha! great imagination sir Blondie...well you probably know someone like that in a similar condition, I;ve heard similar stories my whole life. that's why you need to start stacking when you're 10 instead of 60!