Struck Out

All anyone could talk about at work, customers and employees, was the possibility of a strike. I still don't want to strike, and I wish the union would stop being selfish. Forget the darn pensions. What about the people like me who literally cannot afford this? This is the only money I earn. What am I going to do about my rent? What about Christmas? Don't they ever consider the fact that some people rely on this money? I'm not a teenager who can beg money off of Mommy and Daddy, a college student with fifteen different jobs, or a married middle-aged adult from a dual-income family. I'm a single 30-year-old who has not been able to find a job anywhere but here. What am I going to do?

The fear permeated the whole day. Didn't help that it was another lousy day at work. It was on and off busy, and we're in the midst of an annoying promotion where you earn stickers for every $10 you spent. Get enough stickers, and you get free pots and pans. The cashiers are supposed to give you the stickers, but I keep forgetting. It's just one more thing that we're supposed to tell people.

I'm so, so scared. I don't know what to do. I don't want to strike. I'm not going to march around with a placard and pretend it's 1969. I don't want to be a part of this company or this union. I hate my job, and the union's been no help since the one time they did something for me when I moved here and the Acme screwed up my transfer. Call me Han Solo, but I'm more worried about myself. How do you explain to people who want to fight that all you want to do is get your money and go home?

And of course, my relief ended up going in for someone else, and they had to get a manager to come in for me when I was done.

I stocked up on brown sugar and Smart Balance 50/50 butter after work (they're both on sale, and I may not be able to get them later in the week), then ran over to Wal-Mart. Bought birthday presents for my sister Anny (whose birthday was last week) and brother Keefe (whose birthday is tomorrow), along with tape (I'm almost out). Wal-Mart was a little busy, but not too bad.