We’re the heirs to the glimmering world…
I’ve just cycled home from work but in a completely different direction to that which I usually do. Tonight Dublin felt different. Quiet and mine. For just a moment.
A fox ran across my path and looked as shocked as I did. A heron stood proud. Calm as calm can be. Not a bother on him.
I smiled thinking of the re-emergence of Joe Higgins. Great slogan, “the best fighter money can’t buy”. Good luck to him.
I chortled thinking of the demise of Declan Ganley. Good riddance to him and his croneys.
I thought of people I know in Setanta who are facing troubling times, people like Radge. I wish them all the luck in the world.
I thought of my own situation. There’s every chance I won’t have a job by year end.
I thought of what else I might do. I’m convincing myself the world will still turn and things will turn around eventually. They will. We’ll get away with it. We always do.
I thought of my brother who tells me it could well be the best thing that ever happens to me. I admire his optimism. I live in hope.
I cycled home. And it felt good.
A world gone mad…
This is a photo I took on the way home from work yesterday of a huge queue at St Stephens Green. Four or five people deep, it extended as far as the eye see could see. So must’ve been a couple of thousand people all told. They all had envelopes or sheets of paper in their hands.
I genuinely thought it was an auditions queue for a Dublin-set Bollywood movie of some sort. Or at the very least another crappy talent show type thing. But no.
Turns out in those envelopes and on those sheets of paper were Curriculum Vitaes.
There were some jobs going in a couple of newsagents so hence the CVs. But a line that long for open interviews? Who would’ve predicted that 6 months ago? Not Brian fucking Cowen that’s for sure.
I spoke to a couple of people who were queueing. “It’s all that’s going nowadays” was the concensus. But still, a queue of applicants that long? Naïve perhaps, but I was genuinely shocked.
How quickly things can change eh?
Enough already…
This recession lark has well and truly kicked in and it’s only going to get worse before it gets any way better. I’ve tried to ignore it as much as I can. I’ve been reluctant to post about it as I feel the more we all talk about it the worse it’ll get.
It’s everywhere. I’d swear the news organisations (print TV radio) invented it because they’ve nothing else to hype up. No real war; Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan are so dated now. Global warming is boring. They got so much milage out of Obama already so something new, something global was needed. And bad news sells. Nothing like a bit of doom and gloom to boost circulation and ratings.
Yesterday the Irish Independent had a recession special. The Late Late Show was dominated by it. Prime TIme have been creaming themselves all week with the doom and gloom. Etc etc etc. I’m sick of it.
And all they do is make it worse. It’s like the Gremlins. Add water and the fucker goes wild.
The thing about recessions is they are man made. Completely. Obviously. They are driven by fear. And most of that fear is propagated by the media. It’s a vicious cycle and it’s all completely inorganic. It defies logic in fact. If we all turned around tomorrow and decided that we didn’t want a recession. Bang there’d be no recession. But that’s not going to happen, collectively, is it?
Employers are using the recession to cut back. Often flouting labour laws and trade union agreements. Just because in the current climate they can, and everyone is afraid to say boo because we all have to be grateful, humble servants. It’s crazy.
And it all has happened so quickly. Only Bertie saw it coming and now he’s on crutches, karma anyone?!?
Now I’m not trying to bury my head in the sand. I know it’s serious. Australia is gonna be full of unemployed Irish plasterers, architects, electricians, everything, very soon and that’s a scary prospect. All because here in Ireland we are rudderless. Our government haven’t the balls or the smarts to deal with the situation at hand and the people are like lost sheep without a shepherd. Basically we’re fucked. And that’s just shit.
A friend of mine has set up a recession club in work. They go out for pints every Monday night now and anyone who utters the “R” word has to buy a round. Now that’s the spirit. More of it.
