You gotta work, dammit [View All]

[Droopy]

I just got done talking to an old friend of mine. I've known him for 20 years, ever since we were teenagers. He has never held down a job for more than a couple of months. As far as I know he hasn't worked in 7 years. He's never had his own place. Still lives with his parents. But he has managed to make a kid for which his parents pay his child support for him. His child is his parents' only grandchild.

Disclaimer here: I know people fall on hard times and I know some people are unable to work. I'm cool with you guys. But this guy is an able-bodied, 34 year old. There's nothing wrong with him besides what appears to be terminal laziness.

He says he can't get a job because he can't drive. He says he can't drive because his license has been suspended due to past child support that he owes. That is just an excuse and a very lame one. We have public transportation here and he lives within a mile of about 30 places he could work at. He only owes $180 in back child support and what it would take at the BMV to get his license renewed.

So I was talking to him tonight and he swears he can make a living on Craigslist and eBay if only he had the start-up capital. Read: "Droopy give me some money." Fuck that. I told him to get a damn job and then maybe he would have his start-up capital. That was the end of the conversation.

I just did my taxes today and last year I made the most money of my life. It did not come easy. It took 11 years of working in my profession to get here and nearly 20 years in the work force. And I still bust my ass every night. You gotta work, dammit. Nothing comes easy in life unless you are very lucky.