The New Reality of Aging-Out – Redux
Originally published on LinkedIn in 2014, I’ve since been deplatformed – this is a revisit & rewrite
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I will never stop fighting for justice and meritocracy in a world – and especially the corporate world – that has purposefully forgotten such things. Along with the complete erosion of Natural Law, human rights, civil liberties, and Constitutional freedoms – the parallel (corresponding) growth of corporate power and the growing influence of (fascist) “P3” or Public-Private Partnerships and corrupt, billionaire controlled NGOs have become the dominant political and cultural forces in the world – and especially the USA – but increasingly on a global scale.
It is a foregone conclusion that “representative democracy” is a purposefully failed experiment for “We the People.” One could also argue that it has been wildly successful for the predator class – their agents having surreptitiously done away with the Constitutional Republic and incrementally moved the country (USA) towards a full-on oligarchy / corporatocracy – while most remain asleep to this fact. This was proven in a landmark study by Princeton and Northwestern Universities in 2014.
I have been – for the most part – a corporate employee for a large part of my adult life. For the last 20+ years I was immersed in the business, mechanics, culture, and ethos of some of the biggest (Fortune 500) companies in the U.S. (and the planet) – either as a direct employee, or indirectly as a “vendor” in the way the big NYC advertising agencies deploy resources for these behemoths. I’ve worked across many industries and their verticals. I enjoyed relative “success” in my roles for several years during the aughts and teens, even as one arriving late to the party. I really didn’t start my advertising / corporate “career” until I was in my mid 30’s – and the NYC advertising game until almost my 40’s. That’s a late start in this business. My first “career” was in the restaurant / hospitality industry, and as anyone who has ever waited tables, or tended bar, or cooked on a line, etc. can attest – it’s some of the most grueling work available. A love / hate relationship for sure – at least in my case. And after about 20 years in that business, I wanted something “different” – I wanted a “normal job.” I wanted a (much better) salary, benefits, a “9-to-5,” weekends and holidays off, etc. And mind you – this was before things like “The Food Network” and “Top Chef” gave this industry and career choice a veneer of respectability and even popularity – tattooed hipsters be damned.
The story I like to tell – which was formative in this “career change” – is the one when I was working as the General Manager of the Cambridge Brewing Company – a celebrated microbrewery / brewpub restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the mid to late 90’s. In the MIT / Kendall Square area – a big biotech and burgeoning high-tech center in the Boston area. Occasionally, some local (regular) customers / patrons would come in – wearing their (almost trademark at the time) best “grunge uniforms” – unruly beards (rare at the time), ragged flannel shirts, Birkenstocks (and gnarly toes), baseball caps, etc. and exclaim that they had just received “millions in VC (venture capital)!” to start some obscure World Wide Web (WWW) or Internet company. These were the heady days just prior to the “Dot Com / Dot Bomb Crash” of 2000. These young guys were the (mostly) early Web developer / engineers and I thought to myself, “what the hell am I doing slugging it out in the restaurant business for chump-change while these guys become overnight millionaires?” This marked an important “shift” in my thinking – in the way I approached work. A shifting away from a more passion pursuit towards one much more material, much more lucrative, much more mercenary. I became – fully – a “chaser of money.” And while I had limited education (a Culinary degree from the CIA – the other CIA), I also had a computer technician / IT background from the NHARNG / U.S. military. And while this was an almost obsolete skillset at that time – battlefield mainframe computer technician – there were some transferrable skills and knowledge that would springboard me into the new WWW world. And after a year-long training stint (Boston University / BUCEC) for Web Design (1999-2000), I was a “new man” with a new trajectory and new (faulty) vision.
I say “faulty” because I was not – as Joseph Campbell so eloquently (and importantly) taught – “following my Bliss.” I was as so many have done – hoping to find great, material success to then “afford to do what I really wanted to do.” Eventually. And of course, that’s the insidious trap of the so-called “American Dream.” And while my “following my Bliss” was certainly not professional cooking or the restaurant / hospitality industry in general – it was a damn sight better (closer?) than what transpired in the following 20+ years in corporate advertising (digital) work. I had experiences in the restaurant / hospitality world that were simply sublime – and gave the words “Service” and “Epicurean” a whole new meaning to me - and opened-up a whole other world. And Nature! Oh, the incredibly rich experiences of working in beautiful places, beautiful Nature, beautiful surroundings, with people truly dedicated (passionate) to their craft. This was certainly MUCH closer to “following my Bliss” than that of working in the corporate (F500) world. And if it’s any indication of the impact of a place like “Twin Farms” (or Paris!) on me, it’s that I’ve dreamt of it many, many times over the years – and I last worked there in 2001-ish.
We live in a world of “engineered obsolescence.” That our vehicles, appliances, computers, mobile phones, televisions, etc. are designed to only last a nominal amount of time is widely accepted as just the way of things. Craftsmanship long ago gave way to commodity and to offshored (Chinese!) manufacturing and industry – and to this idea of increasing customer “lifetime value (LTV)” with an almost never ending “subscription program” of consumerism. These behemoth manufacturers do not want to lose their customer base for life - with a single purchase - so products are given a relative “shelf life” or a random “expiration date” by way of ever cheaper (less quality) materials and manufacturing standards. It makes perfect (sick) sense that this would be extended to people. That the march of “progress” and the ethos of profit (and power) at any and all costs would eventually consume a greater and greater percentage of the population. That more-and-more people would have to be “rendered obsolete” in differing ways so that profits and “progress” (and power) would be served. The recent observations of the impact of AI on the workforce is a good indication of this phenomena. The widespread layoffs in the BigTech sector – a once impervious to such things industry – helps illustrate the growing dilemma. That a large part of the workforce can be rendered obsolete – almost overnight – is concerning. It makes the idea of an eventual UBI (universal basic income) and the Orwellian population (Social or Carbon Credit Score) control mechanisms afforded by CBDCs or big, Wall Street bank stable coins a clear and present danger. Fully tokenized human biocapital is on offer - and the required social engineering to maximize the RON or “return on nudging.” All the things we’ve learned regarding Agenda 21 / 2030, U.N. SDGs, ESG, CEI, DEI, CRT, CGT, CLL, JEDI, PMC, etc. are in fact being widely instituted as a matter of (“The Great Reset”) policies – and especially corporate (F500) policies. And this means more-and-more legislation is enacted to support such things.
I am very aware of my own shortcomings – my own challenges – my own Shadow. I am aware at least to the extent that I know I have “blind spots” – and I seek the appropriate counsel to help me identify these things – and my unique triggers. My unique psychological complexes. As with most things, I tend to apply a “spectrum” of analysis, of observations, of opinion / judgement. This includes the spectrum of “victimhood to that of perpetrator.” I know, full well, my penchant for challenging authority. My trauma-based issues with trust.
“Pathological rejection of authority based on unresolved childhood trauma” ~ “Silva” from “Skyfall” (the incomparable Javier Bardem)
So, to claim that I am a victim of “the corporate machine” is (obviously) a bit much. It is better to observe how I fit (or not) into the corporate world – which is more-and-more representative of “life” in general - an increasingly accepted abomination. Which is more-and-more becoming – at least to me – an Orwellian and Kafkaesque dystopia. And at (now) almost 58 years old, with certain Ideals and Principles, I have found myself a pariah in the corporate world. Persona non grata.
I have been unemployed for about six months now – having been terminated from my last position (Senior Digital Marketing Analytics Manager for United Healthcare) for dubious reasons – not performance related. No, this was (yet another in my career) a Stasi hit job perpetrated with a trumped-up “violation of the UHC code of conduct.” Factor in any manner reasoning; age discrimination, unwillingness to comply without challenge or complaint, retaliation for said challenges or complaints, preferred termination over that of lay-off for the company financial benefits, the offending of the sensibilities of the designated corporate bureaucrat (ESG) hatchet woman / fixer, etc. etc. etc. And while there is certainly a flood of relief that comes with escaping such a toxic work environment, the daunting task of finding another, comparable job is sobering to say the least. The last time I lost a F/T role (laid-off) was in the Fall of 2018, and it took until the Fall of 2021 for me to secure another, appropriate F/T role (The UHC job). I was 53 years old in the Fall of 2018 – and it took me three years to find another, appropriate, full-time job! Being underemployed was my new status quo. Granted, the plandemic happened in the middle of that, but I should have been able to easily parlay my “laptop class” skillset into work. It didn’t appear to matter.
Now that I am closer to 60 than I am to 50, it has become increasingly apparent that I am considered “obsolete” in the corporate world. I have applied to approximately 300+ roles with very few (single digit) call-backs and only a few initial interviews (conducted by 20-30 somethings I might add). I have leveraged generative AI to customize all resumes and cover letters, used automated AI services to apply on my behalf (scale), I’ve “widened the aperture” to include all manner of roles – at all levels – just to get traction, just to get something. To no avail. And now that my unemployment insurance benefits are running-out, and I’ve exhausted my meager savings, I will be forced to take whatever work I can get just to keep any income coming-in. Just to literally survive. Such is the dilemma for many I believe – “positive” economic indicators and unemployment numbers be damned. It’s all insulting gaslighting and propaganda.
We are all being led down a certain path – and it’s not a good one. TPTB (the powers that be) want a population of desperate people – because desperate people are more easily controlled (enslaved). This is now a global phenomenon. The transnational billionaire oligarchs are rendering (engineering) nation states obsolete – and this requires the engineered obsolescence of wide swaths of their populations. Soon, only a very narrow cohort of 20-to-40 somethings, who are much less opinionated, much more compliant, are mostly highly skilled software engineers, are ideologically uniform, who fit into the Agenda 21 / 2030, U.N. SDGs, ESG, CEI, DEI, CRT, CGT, CLL, JEDI, PMC, “The Great Reset,” etc. “plans” will be employable in the corporate world. This is the new reality of aging-out.
Temet Nosce. Amor Fati. Memento Mori.
Praise Be To Hanuman
The Breath, Great Servant, and Hammer of R-A-M-A and S-I-T-A
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EPILOGUE
The following was the original post from LinkedIn in 2014. I was deplatformed from LinkedIn “for violating community standards” in 2021 (I was also deplatformed from Twitter / “X” around the same time, for the same reasons) – the new, BigTech euphemism for “we don’t appreciate that you write contrary to our preferred narratives – even when it’s the truth.” I was able to secure an archive of all my material from LinkedIn afterward – some 50 articles – and all my content - which only ever helped to grow that platform. Such is the lesson of BigTech; they will use you, your content, your engagement, etc. as long as it is beneficial to them, but the minute you are not – you’re disposable. Hence the old adage; “if it’s free, you’re the product.” And at some point, you as a “product” are disposable.
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The New Reality of Aging-Out
Published on LinkedIn 2014-11-17 21:14
Lefty is my nine year old English Bulldog. Some say that's old for the breed. I say he's going to live forever and I mean it because in my mind and heart, all dogs are Bodhisattvas. I believe he chose me, and I him in some sort of beautiful, grand cosmic scheme. I recently saw a heartfelt image (author and artist unknown) on Facebook - I follow many English Bulldog pages and groups (go figure) - and it said, "Everyone thinks that their dog is the best, and none of them are wrong." How absolutely perfect.
I am forty eight years old. And in the digital world - and especially the NYC advertising agency world, that's old for my breed. I am an analyst, strategist, and technologist - but not an engineer. I'm the guy that is the liaison between the business people and the technical people - it's my job to interpret and translate for either constituency as required. And while I have extensive experience and a significant skill set, I am a dying breed in the NYC agency world. I'm what is considered too old. I'm aging-out.
I have several friends in the industry around my age that validate this emerging trend - that we are often the oldest people in the room. The exceptions usually being those intrepid careerists and political ninjas that have successfully ascended the corporate ladder and ensconced themselves into the executive ranks and rarefied ivory towers. An interesting dilemma greets us 'non-executive types' of a certain age with this stark realization - that we're in a very small and shrinking minority - and shrinking minorities tend to be treated, well, differently. e.g: "You are..."
Not 'young enough'
Not 'cool enough'
Not 'hipster enough'
Not 'innovative enough'
Not 'current enough'
Not 'ambitious enough'
Not 'relevant enough'
Not willing to 'do what it takes' or 'work hard'
Not 'earnest enough'
Not willing to 'drink the Kool-Aid'
Too old
Too expensive
Too experienced (over-qualified)
Too senior (over-qualified)
Too opinionated
Too 'threatening' (to the status quo)
etc.
While this post could quite easily slip into a resentful rant ("Those damn Millennials!"), I am witnessing this evolution of my work and life as a necessary step, and a welcome relief. When work and life become a merry-go-round, at some point you have to make the choice to try to hang on, or to simply and as gracefully as possible, get off. I am also aware that as I've gotten older, my patience / tolerance for B.S. has gotten less-and-less and this has precluded my ability to make the jump to the executive ranks when deft political maneuvering seems to be the primary required qualification. My no-nonsense approach has been a detriment at times, but I live transparency while others just preach it because it's a buzzword. You know the saying when it comes to 'old dogs...'
So, what are we to do - those of us on the cusp of fifty and finding that the NYC advertising world is all but forcing us out? We find other, better things to do. I'm not one that will continue to compete with people that are twenty years younger, that have greater stamina, are willing to work for a fraction of what I will, and are considered just as qualified. That's simply ridiculous and the industry has been perpetuating this ridiculousness for a while now. There are the executives and then there are the 'commodities.' This post would be 3x as long if I expanded the analysis to the American society as a whole with its unhealthy infatuation with all things young, beautiful, narcissistic, and superficial (read: commercial).
I want to create something, a community, my art, a life with meaning. It could take the shape of a coffee shop, a yoga studio, a curio shop, a small, table d'hôte cafe / bistro, or a food truck (feel free to choose your own metaphor...). Who knows? But it will be superlative whatever it is, and it will be far from the NYC advertising world that has decided that I'm no longer relevant, that I've aged-out. That's fine, I've got better things to do - and I'm just getting started.
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As with all my posts, I try to “elevate” my inquiries and process(es) into the realm of my Spirituality, by making sure to add Prayer:
“My Great Lord, please hear my petition: I Pray for Great Strength. Great Strength of body, mind, heart, emotions, energies, Soul, and Spirit. I Pray for Great Strength to protect, provide-for, and Serve my Beloveds. Great Strength to bear the magnificent burdens of my life. And Great Strength, for when it is time, to gratefully, graciously, and gracefully put my burdens down.”
Miss you Lefty, miss you Ma, miss you Richard, miss you Master, miss you Mel, miss you Dad. 🙏 🌈 💖 🔥
Incidentally, I believe i was targeted on LinkedIn (and Twitter / "X") because of the REACH I had developed on that platform. I had over 5K "professional connections" in my personal network - which gave me significant exposure - especially when I wrote something that resonated. The "Network Effect" kicked-in and I got many hundreds of views (sometimes thousands) and many comments / much engagement. So when the PLANDEMIC broke - this was the first place to suppress / censor - especially when I was DIRECTLY challenging many in the "Scientific (Propaganda) Community." It's the same reason I was deplatformed from Twitter (now "X"), because I was directly challenging politicians, "scientists," and companies like Pfizer. I have since established a Facebook group - mainly on a lark - but to explore a potential Class Action Lawsuit due to LinkedIn's monopolistic practices and their primacy in the online, H/R, recruiting space - and online lead generation (sales / business development) space. You can view my arguments and join that group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/811150860776400/