Saturday, January 24, 2015

Striking Out On Oil

These days the oil industry is suffering in America.  To the joy of consumers, gasoline prices have fallen.  To the oilfield workers, this spells disaster.  I've been reading a lot in social and other media that the oil workers' lives are falling apart because of the mass layoffs and lack of work.  My take on this...tough shit.  EVERYBODY takes risks in what they do for a living so if you want sympathy from me, you won't get it.  Where was the sympathy for the mass public when for years oil execs all the way down to field workers were banking on HUGE profits that came out of our pockets?  We struggled daily to get by because of the necessity for this commodity.  I remember being gifted a tattoo for christmas last year and while sitting at the shop waiting for my appointment there was a young oilfield worker bragging to me that he made so much money in the field, he couldn't spend it fast enough.  He was paying for his third large tattoo that week with his per diem check that he didn't need for necessity.  My tattoo was a huge splurge as far as cost.  I thought, wow...I'm in the wrong business.  The thing I take from this is-when the economy suffers, it effects everyone.  You have to manage your money as if the flow won't be there tomorrow.  Those in the salon or hair or nail business know that when things get tough financially for people, their services usually get cut first.  Risk and reward is the name of the game.  Food servers that bust their ass like everyone else know that when the budget tightens for people, eating out becomes less of a priority.  Name any field out there and there are risks in the career you choose.  I respect anyone who makes a living by working for it whether it's the kat laying down pipe in the oil field or the janitor that takes the trash out at the office.  This is a wake up call to all.  So when oil skyrockets and oil prices become outlandish again and the oil workers get un-laid the hell off, maybe then they will remember that maybe it's time to put a little money away for a rainy or especially a dry day.  Until next time, Peace to all.

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