Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
One Man's Tale of Avoiding the Hamster Wheel
Old 08-04-2008, 10:30 AM   #1
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 121
One Man's Tale of Avoiding the Hamster Wheel

I came across this article in today's San Francisco Chronicle. Interesting ER/FIRE related story! What do you think about the end-solution?

Quote:
It was an experiment in what Skrzypek calls "jumping off the wheel of American Protestant work ethic and consumer culture — the wheel that says you must always be doing, always be achieving, always be motivated." It did not go as planned. And what he learned often revealed as much about the rest of us as it did about himself.
Ambition schmambition: one man's tale of avoiding the hamster wheel

- plsprius
plsprius is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 08-04-2008, 10:36 AM   #2
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 121
By the way, be sure to read the comments by SF Chronicle readers linked at the end of the story. The comments are mostly very negative.

For example,
Quote:
I'm embarrassed for this fellow as well as the person who wasted his/her time (and I'm sure the time of editors and fact checkers) to write this piece of rubbish.
- plsprius
plsprius is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 10:47 AM   #3
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,764
Guy did what he wanted. Works for me.
Notmuchlonger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 10:52 AM   #4
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 121
Quote:
Guy did what he wanted. Works for me.
Yes, I rather like the story, too.

- plsprius
plsprius is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 11:45 AM   #5
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Leonidas's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Where the stars at night are big and bright
Posts: 2,847
I loved some of the things that people said to him, and the comments made by readers:

Quote:
"Read the complete works of Dostoevsky," Max helpfully suggested.

"Work on your Web site. You don't even have a Web site, do you?"

"New York is where you go to live if you're ambitious and smart, Los Angeles is where you go if you're ambitious but not smart, and San Francisco is where you go if you're smart but not ambitious." As someone who has found a $100 an hour 32 hour a week job, I say more power to him!
__________________
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it. - Andrew Jackson
Leonidas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 12:18 PM   #6
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
haha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
I like his statement-"There are too many crappy jobs out there and not enough crappy people."

About sums it up for me.

Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
haha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 12:47 PM   #7
Moderator Emeritus
CuppaJoe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: At The Cafe
Posts: 6,873
Oh, Boy, an opportunity to quote one of my favorite movie lines: From "All the President's Men," Ben Bradley: "We can't print that, give it to the San
Francisco Chronicle." It brought down the house at the Surf Theater.

Shortly after I moved, a friend called and asked what I planned to do that day (a Saturday). The bathroom needed one more finishing touch, I hesitated, then said, "why can't we come right out and admit it, I plan to go down to Union Street and buy a rubber ducky." I was a little embarrassed to think that that might fill up the whole day. Sometime later I ran into a mutual friend who started laughing and said, "yeah, why not just say it, 'I'm going to buy a rubber ducky today'."
CuppaJoe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 01:44 PM   #8
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7,968
It's supposed to reach over 100 degree's today. I think I'll stay in the A/C and watch the grass grow.

It's a 'crappy job' but somebody has to do it.

AND - I'm 'actively managing' my retirement by hurrying up and just standing there to quote Bogle.

Doing absolutely nothing is still a decision - and therefore managment.

Right?

heh heh heh - if SF gets too tacky he can always do Kansas.
unclemick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 02:05 PM   #9
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
haha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
Quote:
Originally Posted by CuppaJoe View Post
Sometime later I ran into a mutual friend who started laughing and said, "yeah, why not just say it, 'I'm going to buy a rubber ducky today'."
Every single man needs a rubber ducky. My friend gave me one, and a back brush.

Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
haha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 02:12 PM   #10
Moderator Emeritus
Nords's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,855
Quote:
Originally Posted by plsprius View Post
What do you think about the end-solution?
I don't think he'll ever feel trapped by employment, let alone suffer from Sunday-night syndrome.

And if they decide to have kids, I don't think he'll have any problem deciding to stay home to raise them.

I kinda envy him!
__________________
*

Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."

I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
Nords is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 02:17 PM   #11
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,049
Sounds like a cool guy. One of the comments, about how he wasn't a drone and would be a great dad, received a number of thumb-ups.
eridanus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 03:26 PM   #12
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
cute fuzzy bunny's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,708
I was somewhat afraid to open a thread that had its title shortened to "One mans tale of avoiding the hamster..." in the portal page...

Interesting read about how someone with marginal skills can live a well financed life of leisure due in almost no part whatsoever on what he did or didnt do. And gets hitched in the middle of it.
__________________
Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
cute fuzzy bunny is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 03:33 PM   #13
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
bbbamI's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Collin County, TX
Posts: 9,293
Quote:
Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny View Post
I was somewhat afraid to open a thread that had its title shortened to "One mans tale of avoiding the hamster..." in the portal page...
What do you mean by this statement CFB?
__________________
There's no need to complicate, our time is short..
bbbamI is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 03:48 PM   #14
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,764
Quote:
Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny View Post
I was somewhat afraid to open a thread that had its title shortened to "One mans tale of avoiding the hamster..." in the portal page...

Interesting read about how someone with marginal skills can live a well financed life of leisure due in almost no part whatsoever on what he did or didnt do. And gets hitched in the middle of it.
I can really relate to the marginal skills part..
Notmuchlonger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 03:59 PM   #15
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
cute fuzzy bunny's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,708
Oh hey, I wasnt maligning the whole thing. Its just impressive how someone can plan and educate themselves and work their butt off, make all the right decisions and end up blowing it, and another guy can wander through life making pretty much no effort, almost no good decisions, do practically nothing, and end up enjoying a pretty good life.
__________________
Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
cute fuzzy bunny is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 04:06 PM   #16
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,764
Quote:
Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny View Post
Oh hey, I wasnt maligning the whole thing. Its just impressive how someone can plan and educate themselves and work their butt off, make all the right decisions and end up blowing it, and another guy can wander through life making pretty much no effort, almost no good decisions, do practically nothing, and end up enjoying a pretty good life.
Oh I know..lol I know..Life is like rolling the dice On the other hand you have people who work really hard and it turns out great for them..
Notmuchlonger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 05:02 PM   #17
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,525
In Italy they call this "Dolce farniente" The sweetness of doing nothing. Imagine a whole country of Skrzypek's. Come to think of it, that's what I really like about Italy....
ejman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 07:24 PM   #18
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7,968
Quote:
Originally Posted by Notmuchlonger View Post
Oh I know..lol I know..Life is like rolling the dice On the other hand you have people who work really hard and it turns out great for them..
Soo - you end up owning a hamster wheel with your very own hamster employees.

What's next - hamster pensions??

heh heh heh - Sometimes success can be burdensome.
unclemick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 07:45 PM   #19
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
cute fuzzy bunny's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,708
Quote:
Originally Posted by unclemick View Post
hamster pensions
LOL.

Great name for a band.
__________________
Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
cute fuzzy bunny is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 08:37 PM   #20
Full time employment: Posting here.
DRiP Guy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 548
Quote:
Originally Posted by eridanus View Post
Sounds like a cool guy. One of the comments, about how he wasn't a drone and would be a great dad, received a number of thumb-ups.
When I was in the Air Force, I was at a base where we had a pretty competitive little clique of active duty racquetballers. Mostly young turks. Fighter jocks, permanent party instructors, command staff folks. Virtually no dependents played, but there was just one middle-aged guy who had very long hair, clearly not military, who played with us, and was always there when the first person showed up for that evening's play. This guy was a goofy looking long, lanky guy, who played with 15 year old gear and the exact same old shorts and tee shirt each time, when everyone else had the latest name brand gear. He seemed pleasant enough, but since no one respected his 'look', and certainly not his soft-style play in a group that prized smacking the ball, he really did not interact socially. When the first guy would show up and had to 'get him off the court', by winning the court away, it got to be dreaded, because no one wanted to lose to this goof, who wore all the wrong gear, played with the wrong equipment, and did not hit the ball the way it was 'proper' to do. No one minds too much losing to a gunslinger, but no one wanted to lose to this 'clown'. And yet, from all those hours with nothing to do but practice and wait for the evening crush of active duty players, he got very difficult to beat. Never called a hinder. Never argued the score. He was so long, he could 'get' anything, and his style was so low key, he made pretty much zero mistakes, while the gunslingers were skipping the ball and blowing up under pressure, muttering about how he wasn't playing 'real' racquetball....

Long story short, we who were real regulars got to know and appreciate this laid-back seeming drop out, and learned that he was a true 'house husband', with his wife an active duty officer, and was about the nicest guy you could ever want to know. He had about the lowest externally visable ego I had ever run across, but clearly could follow through with a sense of purpose, hence his unconventional racquetball success. Most of us were fixated on tourneys and rated our own worth on our 'level' ("D", "C", "B", "A", etc) and how we had done in the latest tourney. This guy never went to a tourney, it would have been the farthest thing from his mind -- weekends were for the wife and family, not for sweating and waiting to play in some distant gym somewhere in hopes of a $1.49 hunk of ego-stroke metal trophy...

Anyway, if you've made it this far, I guess I see in these two, the same easy disassociation with what society says we ought to value, and replacement of that with what he has decided to value personally, backed up with a willingness to go unusual routes to get there.

When we get peeved at such folks, I think we are mostly just projecting our own uncertainty at whether we should have accepted the yoke of convention that most of us slog around wearing every day.

Yes, I think he would be a good father.
DRiP Guy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Old Man's Wisdom haha Active Investing, Market Strategies & Alternative Assets 0 01-14-2008 02:27 PM
ER Postponed or A Tale of Woe barbarus FIRE and Money 4 09-12-2007 01:10 PM
Real estate--a tale of two houses OKLibrarian Other topics 15 05-08-2007 11:00 PM
One man's RPI ... TheFIREman Other topics 0 08-16-2002 01:20 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:14 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.