Give the People MONEY!!!

Finding the Right Words Day #4: WORK

One of the last times I was in an office. Unionize your workplace!

Happy Labor Day, comrades!

A few years back, there was a viral “I Don’t Dream of Labor” movement happening online. People (particularly Millennials and Gen Z) were posting videos on TikTok, IG, and YouTube about how there’s no such thing as a “dream job” and that prioritizing climbing the corporate ladder and achievement under the system of capitalism was fruitless. We as a people should be prioritizing ourselves and our personal growth and goals.

I used to relate to this sentiment (before it went viral, haha). I’ve echoed Miryam Hasnaa's personal definition of success: being able to take naps whenever I want! And I've had a very successful career, napwise and corporate-wise, if I say so myself. I’ve worked for magazines, newspapers, websites, and a very popular streaming service. I’ve traveled the country and world. I’ve made a lot of money for myself and my family. I’ve met some amazing people and I’d like to think my work has had a positive impact on others.

But spending a decade as an overachiever climbing the corporate ladder was exhausting physically, mentally, and financially. And the idea of abandoning my career and traveling the world as an internet influencer was looking really tempting. 

I’ve been out of the traditional workforce (by choice) for about 6 months now. And I’ve realized that while I’m not quite as ambitious as I used to be and I’m no longer that interested in a high level career and I’m actually enjoying no longer being in the rat race, I do, in fact, have a dream job. I believe there are some basic things that every job should have and I don’t know if it’s even possible (that’s what makes it a dream).

Jolie’s Idea of a Dream Job:

Give the people MONEY!!!

People say money can’t buy you happiness. I say money can give you choices and those choices can make you happy and that’s what gives money its value. The ideal job will give people a living wage. And not in the bullshit “$15 a day” idea of a living wage. People should be able to work and care for themselves and their families and live abundantly. A dream job should pay well, plain and simple.

Give the people healthcare.

I no longer have health insurance and BAYBEE! Let me tell you how expensive it is to go to the doctor for a sore throat or a UTI. Between labs, co-pays, prescriptions, each trip would cost between $300-500 upfront! I know everybody ain’t got that kinda cash so they suffer through aches, pains, and illness and that makes NO sense! A dream job should give us the ability to take care of ourselves.

Get rid of the student loans!

We got the good grades and the extracurriculars, we graduated and entered the workforce and dedicated our lives to capitalism. If this is what we have to do in order to be a functioning person in society, why do we have to pay for it, too? That already sets us up for failure, it sets so many of us up for never being able to even begin to have a financially fulfilling career. A dream job should be free, we shouldn’t have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars as teenagers just to get the opportunity for an interview.

Give the people respect.

Watching the SAG-AFTRA strike has been heartbreaking, yet familiar. I successfully helped unionize one workspace and attempted to unionize another and I know how far (and how low) these corporations will go to keep their employees from getting not just what they want, but what they need to have a happy and healthy work-life balance. One thing the “I Don’t Dream of Labor” movement had right is the assertion that these companies do not care about you, the employee, as an individual. They care about their profits. Your job is not your family, you are replaceable and disposable and in too many of these workplaces, that disrespect is obvious. A dream job should be a place of peace. We shouldn’t have to worry about or deal with colassial egos and disrespect and hostility and low wages and long hours and loss of time. We work to live, we don’t live to work.

Here’s hoping my next job is a dream come true.

This entry was written under the prompt WORK, Day 4 of the Finding the Right Words 30-Day Journaling Challenge. Follow along, see the graphic above and write about whatever comes to mind with the corresponding prompt. Share with me using the tag #FTRW or email me at joliedoggett [at] substack.com. 

There’s no wrong way to journal. You just gotta find the right words. Happy Writing!