Nosedive

Life is too hard, man. Forget marriage, kids (sorry, Grandpa), owning a house; I’m just trying to keep a roof over my head. Have lost 37 pounds in a year being flat-ironed across the pavement by America Incorporated. I stare at my ribs in the mirror like The Machinist. Starting to glitch out.

Was gonna petition these new surveillance cameras at work, which would have gotten me fired. I’m exhausted anyway so I thought it would be worth it for the show of solidarity to my co-workers. My council did not. And when you have all-stars in your corner, you listen.

A blurry-eyed fortnight of planning and deliberation ended in the longest bear hug I’ve ever shared with my father, on the eve of the revolution, May 4th, no less. A real Kodak moment. Robbed me of the last bit of fight I had left.

Darth prevails yet again. Luke lives to fight another day. Maybe I just needed proof he is still alive…

E.F😞

*Nosedive happens to be the title of Black Mirror episode 3.1 starring Bryce Dallas Howard. Her character struggles in a not-so-alternate reality where social media feedback ratings determine everything. A single rating blemish for something as trivial as not smiling enough in front of a customer causes a person to become a social pariah.