Posted on 12/26/2018 9:30:48 AM PST by Incorrigible
Austin Murphy
Author and longtime Sports Illustrated senior writer
Holiday parties were right around the corner, and I needed a cover story. I didn't feel like admitting to casual acquaintances, or even to some good friends, that I drive a van for Amazon...
...Let's face it, when you're a college-educated 57-year-old slinging parcels for a living, something in your life has not gone according to plan. That said, my moments of chagrin are far outnumbered by the upsides of the job. There's a certain novelty, after decades at a legacy media company, Time Inc, in playing for the team that's winning big, even if that team is paying me $17 an hour (plus OT!). It's been healthy for me, a fair-haired Anglo-Saxon to be a minority in my workplace, and in some of the neighborhoods where I deliver. As Amazon reaches maximum ubiquity in our lives, as online shopping turns malls into mausoleums, it's been illuminating to see exactly how a package makes the final leg of its journey.
There's also a bracing feeling of independence that attends piloting my own van, a tingle of anticipation before finding out my route for the day. Will I be in the hills above El Cerrito with astounding views of the bay, but narrow roads, difficult parking, and lots of steps? Or will my itinerary take me to gritty Richmond, which, despite its profusion of pit bulls, I'm starting to prefer to the oppressive traffic of Berkeley, where I deliver to the brightest young people in the state, some of whom may wonder, if they give me even a passing thought: What hard luck has befallen this man, who appears to be my father's age but is performing this menial task?
Thanks for asking!
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
At least NOW he’s doing something USEFUL........................
All that journalistic work led to...nothing?
Why? Amazon has nothing to do with that.
Does he get HEALTH CARE WITH THAT?...................
I’m a Realtor. I’m 60 and am in good shape mentally and physically. We’ve received quite a few packages from amazon etc. I think the job looks like fun and I’d consider doing it. Good work out!
So what did he do to get fired?
There isn’t much call for someone who can create catchy phrases on their word processor these days. Employers want skills, real skills..
He made the decision to be a writer.
There ain’t a lot of money in it...............
He refused to diversify (do video, tell stories people want to hear) just like his old employer, SI did. SI let ESPN eat its lunch for decades and not writers like this act surprised that the industry no longer has any place for them.
$17 an hour would be a decrease in pay for me. But I’m 60 years old. I’m tired of working hard all my life. I’m looking forward to semi retirement. Having a job like delivering packages would suit me. At the end of the day, I would be done for the day.
It was a nice story right up until the gratuitous and needless dig at President George W. Bush.
Any sympathy I had for this man disappeared at that point.
"...it has been healthy for me to be a minority in my workplace..."
I suspect he had a conservative thought. The Thought Police busted him.
“It’s not easy getting old.”
True. I’m sixty-four and working as a college instructor. No longer making six figures, but still working. I advise people in their fifties to consider a plan B career, when their years of experience are no longer an asset.
Wait? What? ....why is that healthy for him?
If you are a white male in your fifties and work for a major corporation, your fate might not be much different.
There you have it: His opinion of those of us who actually DO STUFF for a living. His condescending attitude towards REAL Work IS plain to see.
I will turn 64 next month and have considered doing something like this when I retire. He should thank God Almighty that he even CAN do stuff like this......................
Hey, Journ-O-Lists, welcome to the REAL WORLD that you helped create.
I know a guy like this. Went to high-school with him. He became a celebrated columnist in a large daily paper and was there for close to three decades until they went online-only and eliminated his position.
No idea what he is doing now but it very well could be Amazon.
He lost me with the racial BS. Leftists are obsessed with race ... I want to kick them all someplace sensitive.
But I won't.
I'm "conservative".
That means I have good impulse control ...
The UPS drivers I see are working like dogs delivering packages until 8 at night. Are you sure you'd want that?
Cool piece. I Ubered for a while several years ago and have written resumes for over 4 years.
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