Diary of the Downsized: An Introduction

Diary of the Downsized: An Introduction
6/29/08

Why?

The question "Why?" is the opening day topic of this, my first entry in the "Diary of the Downsized." In short, what I'm hoping to accomplish in the drivel that follows is fairly straightforward - explain WHY I've decided to start keeping this journal. A more ambitious goal would also include trying to convince you WHY you should even care and, god forbid, care enough to actually read this thing with any regularity...I have no delusions of grandeur on the latter; mind you, I don't expect anyone would care....some of my friends may get a kick out of it, my mother might care or at least feign caring...my Dad...ehhh...that's iffy, but I don't blame him or anyone for that matter - there are a lot more important things in life to focus on, but, as you will soon find out, I've got a lot of time on my hands these days and as the saying goes, idle hands are the devil's workshop so why not put those hands to work, no? I should note that I very much prefer the slightly darker slant to that saying: the devil's hands are happy hands...saw that on a movie poster a long time ago and got a kick out of it....but i digress.

So, WHY am I doing this? I'm really just looking to kill time in the day and if, by some chance, I can kill some time in your day, well then, all the better, though that would probably suggest you need some type of pharmaceutical intervention...a nice IV push of an anti-psychotic will straighten you out, no doubt.

So I think I've addressed WHY I'm doing this and now it's really a matter of convincing you to care, or if not care, at least laugh at, with, or near me. Let me take a few steps back and start off by providing some context and background. First...who am I? I'm a 31 year old single guy living in Manhattan (not with my parents though, so I've got that going for me.) I can be glued to the T.V. all day watching sports or, if the gods see fit to reward me, nothing beats the Karate Kid; or I can be fully engrossed in a book for hours on end, with my couch being the only common link those completely disparate activities share. I could also be called a workaholic, but I've managed to overcome that condition - as of approximately four months ago, I found myself gainfully unemployed. Shed no tears for me though, I'm one (or was one) of those stereotypical Wall Street douche bags that was summarily tossed to the curb in the first of several rounds of recent corporate cutbacks. My loss of employment is not a seismic event; there is no net loss for society. I fully understand this.

So what's my motivation? What am I going to write about? This is still unclear - I'd like to have some structure, some general theme but this is still a work in progress. What is clear though is that life without a job leaves a lot of time to fill and gives me the opportunity to listen (and sometimes talk back to) the voices in my head...they are entertaining voices and I see this blog, in part, as a way to give them some air time. So be prepared for some completely ridiculous trains of thought that I will, for better or for worse, share with whomever chooses to subject themselves to this journal...You'll also have to put up with rants and raves on sports...this is inevitable, so be forewarned. Politics, but more precisely, politicians will get ample vetting in this blog as well. I hope to also throw in, when I see fit, some photos I've taken or will take and believe you me...a simple photo = more than 1000 words. Funny words and perhaps some images and words that move you...but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

So that's it in a nutshell. Those are my marching orders, for now at least. All things are subject to change...which allows me to conclude this Blog Preface, of sorts, with a favorite joke from a favorite movie which goes something along the lines of a....bartender asking a patron: "how do you make god laugh?" The man on stool shrugs...and .the barkeep responds..."make a plan...make a plan."

...In the next entry...My Life is Groundhog day
- MJB