Traffic from Both Sides - Margaret Thatcher

No Afternoons

27^th October 2012

Dear Cassi,

       

Today I was offered an afternoon shift and I turned it down without a thought. This would be for the same pay but more work. There is so much more going on in the afternoon that it just gives me a headache.

       

My boss thought I would jump at the chance. I came into the brake room before shift, and he told me that I could have the evening shift if I wanted. I respond in the negative and he said “No, seriously, you can have the evening shift,” but I was uninterested.

       

I would be expected to take a lunch as opposed to now when I take a lunch at my desk and get paid for the time. This would mean another half hour out of my day.   The on duty meal period has always been more to my liking and I would keep it rather than lose.

       

If this inconvenience falls flat I can also point out that traffic his bad in the day hours and it would take me twice as long to get to work each day. The night shift with its tranquility and freedom is what I have worked for the past fifteen years. To me the night is an old friend and I am pained to part ways.

       

I think they would have liked to have me on the evening

shift because of how well I work. As for me, I would like to get better pay because of how well I work. As one is independent of the other I see little reason to look after my boss’s wishes.

Find what works, little sister,

Richard Leland Neal

Outstanding Warrants

Dear Cassi,

   

The arrival of the police a few days ago at my work prompted many of my residents to go run and hide. This is because, or so I am told, they have outstanding warrants and have not taken the time to go to our legal clinic.

   

This reminded me of a man I ran across in the late nineties who had a hundred thousand dollars in fines from three traffic tickets. He had neglected his legal obligations and been found in contempt of court. The option given him was spend the next ten years in jail or pay the fine. He had opted to pay and was now living with his girl friend and putting most of his pay towards his debts to society.

I have to agree with how the court put this out for him. Spending ten years in jail would only cost the tax payers more so making it as unappealing as possible is the best thing the judge could have done. Further on, the money was only just compensation for all those people who fail to deal with warrants.

Failing to get to one’s obligation is a way to get buried in problems. Now day’s I struggle to stay on top of things primarily because I never got to them in youth. Stacks of old paper and piles of tools that were never put away are a large part of my life.

I do understand that getting to these things a few years ago would have been an exercise in futility. No matter what I did things just got worse for me as my depression, and my overworked life style leads to crud piling up.   

I’ve been moving in the right direction and the passing of junk from about to away is like puss from an infected wound. The more of it that moves the better I feel, and every day my home gets more livable.

Stay safe, Cassi,

Richard Leland Neal