Wow, what a whirlwind the last couple of months has been! When caught in such strong gales I tend to neglect that which is battened down. It is easier to ride the currents than to fight them, after all.
My last post concluded with me talking about searching for and embracing a new hobby, Magic: The Gathering. This collectible card game has pretty much dominated my life, for the most part, since that last post.
I managed to find a group to play with, at the local comic book store, and compete in weekly tournaments for prizes and a national ranking. These events, known as Friday Night Magic, have been an absolute blast and has become the reason I have a job, pay my bills, and continue to function. This led to meeting new friends, and most importantly, diverted my attention onto something constructive for a change.
To boot, I have played pretty well, for an admitted novice, and achieved 2nd place finishes numerous times and even managed to win 1st place on one occasion. Not bad! It is nice to embrace a new activity and actually be somewhat successful at it. Feels good.
So, if Magic is my weekend life, what has happened during my workaday scene?
I got robbed again. Three times now in the past 8 months I have been robbed on the job, twice at gun point. Though disturbing, I must admit, I didn't receive the worst of the hostility. That misfortune belongs to my co-workers; I had to witness in horror as loaded guns were held inches from their faces, like serpents coiled, ready to strike. Not only were the thugs brazen enough to rob us before God and everyone, but they also expressed how fun it was, with a chuckle and a smirk, and made it well known they got a rise out of subjecting us to their torments. Pure evil.
Luckily, the crooks made a few mistakes, and thanks to the testimony and statements of myself and my brave co-workers, we managed to assist the authorities in apprehending those scum. Justice does prevail, from time to time, and the imparted feeling is indescribable. Suffice it to say, a soul crushing, terror inducing weight was lifted from the backs of a grateful many. Joy!
Sadly, though, my boss, and dear friend, lost his job because of some procedural mistakes that were made by his crew on the night of the robbery; mistakes which resulted in the store losing more money than it should have. In my opinion this was a needlessly brutal and heartless message to for the suits-on-high to send to the underlings, but, in the eyes of the corporate big wigs, someone needed to be made example of. Just so happens that my friend had to take the fall, but maybe I am biased. In my humble opinion he was wronged by the company he worked hard for. What a shame.
There is more to share, it has been months, but I am hungry.
Love,
Smiley Grimm
