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Riff 033016

image: Suspension Bridge in Sunrise © Anatoly Tiplyashin | Dreamstime Stock Photos
image: Suspension Bridge in Sunrise © Anatoly Tiplyashin | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Times are tough, that is for sure. Even for those of us who have held onto the same position for years can eventually find themselves underemployed due to changes in society or technology.

My job is certainly an example of that.

For ages it was pretty steady, but when technological developments sped up, change started creeping in. I did my best to try to keep up, to adapt. I even went to school, hoping to gain an edge. I am certainly more well spoken now (thanks to Mrs. Bebelbraun for her excellent public speaking class and Mr. Henshaw for his eye opening creative writing class), but it did not really help in the long run.

As technology advanced, people’s lives sped up, which was not beneficial to my line of work. To say that it is a disappointment is an understatement. My father, and his father before him, worked this same job, and now I fear I will be the last to actually hold it. Just the thought of that makes me fear for my child’s future.

This is not to say I do not appreciate technology. There are so many benefits that is has brought, from the internet to the rapid expansion of coffee culture. Fifteen years ago, you would have gotten drip coffee and been happy. The terms latte and cappuccino were not mainstream, certainly not here. I freely admit I am a monster without my morning latte.

But the cost. An age old family business will be coming to a close. Not that the business has had much business in the last decade, and the previous seventy years had seen a stead decline. But such is the cost when technology improves, automobiles move faster and faster, and no one pays any mind to the roadside.

And let’s face it. Trolls are not exactly the most agile of creatures, so when cars sped up, we were losing more than we were stopping. Now the only saving grace is if there is a traffic jam and I can go down an entire line of cars at once. Though with their shatter resistant glass and reinforced frames, folks just are not as intimidated by trolls as they used to be.

Oh how I miss the days of foot traffic and billie goats. Sure the goats were tricky, but I’ve learned a thing or two over the years. Not that it will ultimately do me much good with my current position. I’m going to have to face the hard reality that I will need to look to a change in career.

I wonder if I could get a job as a toll booth attendant? Or maybe work for the IRS?

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