Hitting the “Gig Work” Wall…

Hitting the “Gig Work” Wall…

It’s Wednesday and I don’t believe I’ve cracked the $200 mark for this week. I am on a seesaw of “working towards getting out of driving while learning new skills online and job hunting” AND “Desperately thumbing through beeps, boops, and buzzes of (2) different gig apps constantly going off at lunch time with $1.75–10.01 runs that require me to drive 13 miles one way when gas is $5/gallon.”

I’ve had enough. More appropriately:

“I’ve 100% totally and completely, mutherfucking-purple-crayon-wielding had enough.”

I remember my first I.T. job in and then out of college, helping to run the computer labs on campus, jack-of-all-trades+actual lab manager vs the alcoholic the previous manager hired, because her advisor was his wife and she gave her an A+ on her thesis for both the content and her hiring choice. It was $15 an hour and required a ton of responsibilities, which I took way too seriously.

That job was better than gig work and paid better with less overhead or risk. I was respected and appreciated for my skill sets, my intelligence, my problem solving and my empathy. I never took advantage of my position and never treated anyone as lesser. And as my UberEats app pangs with a $4.83 trip my stomach drops…

$2.50 run for 9.6 miles…

I feel sick every time I hear that sound. Every goddamn time and I hear it 100 times before anything decent pops up.

Fast forward 20 years and as I get some new and wonderful opportunities to work in the virtual space they are now put on hold for the summer because…

Everyone involved is going to Burning Man.

I can’t actually be upset or mad about it bc it is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had working with some of the best people I’ve ever sort of met (I’ve only met their avatars or met them in Zoom calls.) High IQs and EQs, a legion of everyone I’ve ever wanted to work with. They inspire me to be on time, to be present, and work as hard as they would like me to and maybe a little more than they’d like me to, too.

I love that job and if I can live and survive long enough. I hope it goes full time or gives me enough hours one day where I can build a life and other…