Turning Four

I was sitting thinking about the significance of four, and I identified a few. Lizzie turned four yesterday. I know absolutely nothing about numerology except the 11 thing, so nothing there. What was I doing four years ago? I was workinng for a man who let me work until I bled, until I started dying from the inside, and who did not care about those things. The bottom line was the bottom line for him. I survived the brutal southern heat by smoking copious amounts of Camels, sometimes a fried chicken leg, and numerous carbonated energy drinks -the kind with herbs and stuff. I remember one day in particular, I had been working for 21 days straight in order to pay for our new baby. I had no insurance, and despite the fact that our diet mainly consisted of pb&j sandwiches or grits and eggs, I earned too much to qualify for medicaid; then it all caught up with me. I had a beyond-splitting headache, and felt like I would pass out at any minute. I'm not sure how I made the two hour drive home that day, but I did. When I got home, the trouble started. I became nauseated, quit sweating, and the pain in my head became unbearable. After a few minutes of lying on the couch, I had to run to the bathroom. I dry heaved twice, then the brightest red blood started coming out of my stomach. I knew this was probably a bad problem, so I told Lisa and we scheduled a doctors appt. for the next day. I had gastroenteritis, which is a pre-ulcerous thing. The entire inside of my stomach had something in it resembling road rash.
   As far as the financial impact, I earned around $6,000 dollars in non time and a half overtime over a six month period. The hospitalization and tests cost $4,800. It was $1,200 dollars short of a total waste of time at the peril of my health. Sometimes our most earnest work isn't enough, even if you are at the top of your craft.

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