As always I will start this rant by saying... if you get offended easily, STOP READING NOW.
I worked for the U.S. Marshals Service for 37 years. I worked HARD. There were not many days I wasn't busy from the morning till I left. I loved my job (up until the last year and a half). It identified who I was for a very long time. I was extremely proud of my job, and did it exceedingly well. I had enough of a reputation to be called upon, several times over several years, to set up administrative controls for fugitive operations, called into Headquarters to teach, called to Glynco to teach. I was a formative member of a Fugitive Task Force that still exists even to this day, having started in 1983. Did a lot of traveling to nice places, and lots more to NOT so nice places.
So enough about the job.... here goes.
Jump forward to today - someone posted one of those facebook posts of "wisdom" that said, and I quote:
"ENTITLEMENTS? I paid cash for my Social Security insurance. Our benefits are NOT some kind of charity or handout! Congressional benefits... premium federal healthcare, outrageous retirement packages, 67 paid holidays, three weeks paid vacation, unlimited paid sick days! Now THAT'S welfare. And they have the nerve to call my retirement an entitlement??" Repost yada yada
Well, guess what. I don't like that this post makes it sound like ALL federal employees get 'entitlement' instead of 'retirement'. This pisses me off no end. I worked for THIRTY SEVEN years for my retirement. Nobody GAVE it to me, I EARNED it, every fu**ing dollar of it. FOR YOU. I was a PUBLIC SERVANT. I worked FOR YOU. And don't give me that "MY taxes paid YOUR salary" shit, either. That was always good to piss me off too. I AM A TAXPAYER TOO, you simple ass.
I don't get Social Security, and I'm glad. I paid for my retirement, it's NOT charity. I PAY for my 'premium healthcare'. NOBODY gives it to me. I do NOT have an 'outrageous' retirement package. I do ok for giving Uncle Sam 37 years of my life. I did NOT get 67 paid holidays or 'unlimited paid sick days'. I did get 26 days vacation a year, WHICH I EARNED. So get it out of your mind now, if that's what you think about what a federal employee gets. (by the way, they pay into Social Security now just like everybody else).
These congressional ASSHATS make all the money, get all the perks, get all the paid holidays, unlimited sick leave, free travel, armed protection, and they get painfully little done. If I were half as inefficient at my job as these effin' LOSERS are, I would have lost my job way before 37 years. And they would have done it, as hard as it is to fire a federal employee.
Now that I've retired (as of July 3, 2008)... I reserve the right to get up when I want, do what I want WHEN I want (OR NOT). I can go to church, the library, shopping. If I wanted to I could get a part time job, or volunteer. I give blood, have time to go to lunch with my mother, or go to movies with a friend. I sit at my computer, and read and WRITE, which I love to do. I always wanted the time to write, and now I have it. I read papers, blogs, and look at Youtube and whatever else I find interesting. I cruise eBay. I like Etsy. I browse Pinterest and Facebook. Not a day goes by I don't learn something new.
There may be some (I'm sure there are) who think I'm lazy because I always smile when I say "NOTHING" when people ask what I do now. If I wanted a job, I'd have one. I looked forward to the ability to do NOTHING for a very long time, so if you think I need to go out and get a job, or do something, or whatever, guess what. You can eat shit and bark at the moon.
If you can retire at 55 and do "nothing"... translation: whatever you want... more power to you. I did. I'm very happy, and that's what matters. I guess if you want to call THAT an 'entitlement'... go right ahead. Just know I EARNED IT.
If you're offended, tough. Build a bridge and GET OVER IT.
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