Well, I spent several hours talking to them the other day, wishing them well and wishing my support to them. If I was still in the state, I would be out there side by side with my literal fucking friends. I'll also support the newly formed entertainment union that JUST voted to unionize. I'll speak on their behalf and tell people how the company treats them unfairly and fucks them over every single day.
What the fuck do you want me to do? Not have taken advantage of my employer while I was working there and taken the employer match? It's in a 401k, it's not like I can just get rid of it all for another 30 years and it's not like I have much.
You know what man, I really don't know what I want you to do, and I'm sorry for coming at you like that. I and we have been taking so many godamn L's I lashed out. I hope you and y'all and we find a way. I don't have a means to help and I also don't have anything close to retirement so I assumed you might. I hope it gets better.
Don't think twice about it, I hope you start to get some Ws soon. We all deserve some grace. I truly hope things get better for you and you can bounce back. I really appreciate the reply and the private message apologizing.
Random stranger commenting to say I appreciate how this played out and kudos to you both. This comment chain is a striking example of the exact problem we've inherited as a society, and its solution!
Those of us (nearly everyone) abused by the extremely rich have this tendency to lash out at anyone within reach that just miiiight be wealthy enough to be part of the problem. The reality is that you - and literally almost all of us - will never rub elbows, pass in a hallway, even glimpse - the (extremely rich) people actually causing our problems.
That's the whole fuckin thing, how the misdirection of rage that fuels the whole shebang, is created. You (we) can never even really SEE the people who are doing this to us. We're all furious, and the villains have been invisible for so long that we've gone dumb - attacking one another, fellow sufferers - has become damn near instinctual.
The solution (or part of it) is right here in y'all's comment chain too - just a sudden realization that the person doing a little bit better than you (us) has nothing to do with your difficulties. It's almost always the fault of the invisible, antihuman greed monsters.
You know what, you're likely right. But also I've been broke sense forever and never had a chance to think about a 401k, which historically has benefits the 1% significantly more than any contributing person. I guess my point is, don't appear to sympathize if you're not directly experiencing it or taking action.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been working in public school libraries for almost 10 years now and get paid basically nothing, and since I'm not a teacher, my retirement accrues so slowly that it's basically nonexistent. I'll probably have to work until I die. I should've switched careers a long time ago. One more year and I'm out. I decided to wait until my daughter graduates high school, and then I'll make big life changes.
Just for some perspective, some companies give stock options to employees in lieu of better pay, so the guy you were frustrated with might also be broke.
I revised my comment to him, and I'll do it for you. I hope we make it through. My original dream was to make the internet a safer place for us all, given it is the amalgamation of all knowledge known so far. I've been let down it's made me sour to people. I hope it gets better, and I hope life lets you continue working in the library because we need it.