"The Drywaller"

I go to a gym regularly- the same gym I've been going to for years. When you do that for a while you get to know some people you run into fairly often.We start out with a familiar nod, that turns into a short comment, then a conversation. These are"gym buddies". We don't know too much about each other, only that we come here regularly, and we have a few things in common. We even have names for other people.There are the "New Year's Resolutions". These are folks with great ambitions, who show on January 2nd and are gone by Valentine's day. Then there are the swim suit people. They usually show up just after the New Year's crowd is gone. They come in early spring just to improve their appearance in their swim suits, and will pay a whole year's membership to do it. They'll be gone soon too. Finally "the regulars". That's me and my gym buddies.

I was talking to one of  my gym buddies the other day (we just call him The Drywaller) when he asked me about another friend of mine whom he hadn't seen in a while. I told him I hadn't seen Todd much lately either, and said I thought that was because he was getting a little busier with work. Both my friend and "The Drywaller" work for drywall companies- though different ones.

The Drywaller then told me he got laid off from his company in December. He had worked there for over twenty-two years. He said that when they laid him off, he lost his medical coverage and had to pay for the COBRA because he just couldn't go without coverage. The Drywaller and I are about the same age, so I  know all too well that men in their fifties cannot be without medical coverage. It takes 3/4 of his unemployment comp just cover his COBRA and house payment. I think I showed the proper amount of outward concern, while experiencing way too much inward panic at the thought that could be me some day. The final chapter to this exchange was him telling me he had been in touch with his old company friends. He found out they have started to get some work lately, but the company (a locally owned company) had quietly hired a bunch of younger guys, because they could pay them much less. He said the company is telling their crews they are doing very well in profits.

I have been thinking quite alot lately about how the big corporations and thier political toadies have abandoned the American worker. They have driven down the income of the middle class for nearly thirty years, by busting unions and sending jobs to other countries. They claim to love America - but they seem to hate Americans. Talking to The Drywaller made me realize it isn't just the big companies who have committed this crime against "the general welfare", they have now taught the small companies to do the same. Local companies, at least, used to be counted on to value the worker. After all these are our neighbors, our friends and relatives, our gym buddies. Now there is no regard for anything except the bottom line. American companies big and small are making record profits and sitting on piles of cash ($1.3 trillion at last estimate) while the American working middle class withers. Some captains of industry say they aren't hiring now because of the "uncertainty" in the future. Translate that into- we're doing just great without you!

Future offerings from Different Thoughts will discuss and explore some ideas about how we can change this. I do think that there is the beginning of a groundswell among the people to take our country back from the corporations and the politicians they own. I hope so. The Drywaller and I will thank you.