Dear future self,
I’m writing this ‘cause you just had one of the hardest days at work in a while. And that’s saying a lot. And I’m gonna pin this post on your safe space so you always see it, and I hope you see the immediacy every time.
You need to leave your current job. Expeditiously.
I know you got a strong sense of justice (fueled by unnecessary vindictiveness) and it gets you into trouble in places that DO NOT have the same sense of urgency when it comes to workplace concerns. You are nothing but a number to these people, easily replaced literally the next day if need be. Your friend literally died during the union strike, left to fend for himself during the brief period of lack of medical insurance, and was SWIFTLY pulled out of the employment system, and only a small handful of people remember him, despite the hundreds of hours he put into overtime.
You need to get out of there. The pay is NOT WORTH IT, you routinely see jobs in your city in positions you actually see yourself making a difference in. That kind of work matters. The blue collar work, while inherently American in a rarely esteemed way, is not appreciated nearly enough. You deserve better.
Please. I know it’s tough and sometimes you feel stuck, and you try to make peace with the possibility of spending your life here, but you GOT to put in the work if you truly want to leave. And I’m telling you that in this moment in time, you REALLY WANT TO LEAVE! Try to remember this feeling, it’s unfortunately so familiar to you. Don’t get comfortable in this cycle. You constantly are trading one evil for another.
I say this ‘cause I love you. I want to see you happy. You deserve to be in a place you’re valued and where you make a difference. You have more potential than you let yourself believe. You already speak up where it doesn’t matter, imagine if you did where it does. Please, I beg you, I am manifesting you get another job by this time next year.
You’re wasting your life there. You’re too good to be a cog in this machine. There are opportunities out there and with patience + effort, you can get there. Maybe it’s not great, but surely it’s better than where you are. Regardless, that’s something you need to believe in. That it’s within reach.
You can do it. You’ve proven people wrong all your life. I’m looking forward to meeting the version of you who accomplishes this goal. I’m already so proud. Thank you for doing it for us. You’re the only one who can.
