It's da 1st of da monf! (yep, I said it like that)

November 1, 2008. Month 11 out of the year. The new year is just two months away and I reflect on how this year had a very profound effect on my livelyhood since this year began. I reflect on the idea that I am on the cusp of being with my job with Detroit Public Schools for 13 years. THIRTEEN! A decade and some change, as it were! I was rappin' with one of the ciriculum leaders at work and I asked him about his first few years with DPS whether or not he felt a sense of dignity and pride working for an educational facility? He confessed that he did, and I revealed the same likewise. I was hired in December 1995, but started January 1996. I've seen changes that occurred so fast over time, I couldn't even keep up let alone speak of them-they occurred that fast! I've seen alot come and go. I've seen administrators, teachers, couselors, and even department heads being given their pink slips-even HEAD custodians. And being under the now defunct head custodian category, I remember these fools saying that the janitors were gonna be the first to go. Five plus years later, (most of us are) STILL here! DPS isn't what it used to be, but as bad as I wanna ditch this dead-end job, I'm happy to have a job. I have benefits, sick time, and vacation time, and I make the most of everything I have along those lines! Now we're being encountered with more layoffs, and NO MORE overtime, meaning that we're working even harder with even less manpower and money and to make matters worse, I work in a high school. I insist on working there because you make the most of your money there. But here's where it gets worse. We're short two people, and we may be short three (I hope it doesn't go that far). One of our co-workers was pulled off from our school to help clean three other buildings. Were that to happen to me (and I stay on the other side of town), I'd demand to be reimbursed for gas. Even though it has gone down (how long will THAT last?), it still costs! I drive 20 miles ONE WAY to get to work and I drive a car that I'm trying to maintain until next spring and hopefully I'll have something else if the will of God allows it. So again, if I was pulled out of my building at short notice, I'd question it without hesitation or reservation due to the burning of gas-money's already tight as it is-even if I risk losing my job, I'd still risk it, because DPS KNEW that these problems were gonna arise before most of their mismanagement of fundings were to come to light-which they did. And to prove how ass-backwards these idiots are, I'm seeing BRAND NEW Dodge Charger squad cars in the courtyard of my school. I even posted it on flickr, and one former DPS employee was pissed at the sight of it and he had valid reason for it, and even though I remain with DPS, I'm pissed of myself, but that's neither here nor there at this point. Keeping my head above the water is my focal point right now. I figure being as skilled as I am with the internet, I am seriously considering a work at home job, but there are so many of them, but I've come across a few slots so I have a brand new Dell laptop (and I'm loving it) and I have plenty of opportunities to advance myself so I can do the things I need to do as well as want to do. I have a few business ventures I'd like to get off the ground as well, so I do have a plan. It's just a matter of time before I get off my butt and get moving. I've been so used to same routines over and over again I know that if I make even the slightest change in habits I'll be overwhelmed by it. But at the same time I am also beginning to realize that just that one step can make you or break you. I'm almost willing to make that first step. Despite a real (crappy) economy right now, I truly believe that I have come full circle with the Board of Ed. Virtually everybody I know is telling me now that this is not the job for me (there's that fire under butt that needs to be lit again), so that's telling me something!

I think it's time I started listening (esp. now this being the holiday season and all)!