Once again I apologize for hogging the microphone so to speak but things happen when they happen and I had to write about this. So I was having dinner with a friend of Simons Girlfriend I met while we were dating (it ended amicably). Like the social misfit I am I remarked that I didn’t care for his roommate and that was the reason I never reached out sooner. Turns out the roommate, let’s call him Murat, had a recent death in the family. I felt like an ass. Further, it turns out that the relative was his mother and that Murat, a corporate lawyer, was her primary caretaker during her prolonged illness. Then I really felt like an ass.

Now there was nothing I could say so I said nothing.  The conversation didn’t end there however.

Now this guy wasn’t the type to let something go so he kept talking. Most of it was the standard stuff…oh he was so brave, oh it’s been so hard, etc. I felt a little better instead of worse. This was my punishment and I was taking it. Then he got into WAY too much information in terms of the particular duties he had to perform. I felt embarassed for his mom and hoped nobody ever learned of my last days third hand over nachos.

THEN…wait for it. He said that Murat wished he would have gotten laid off during the illness so he had more time to take care of his mom.

Hold Up.

First the disclaimers. Maybe Murat never actually said that and my friend was just trying to make me feel worse or further exaggerate Murat’s goodness. But let’s assume Murat’s primadona bitchass DID say as much. Two words. Fuck him.

Why? Because thousands of kids in debtors prison care for sick parents with no job, insurance, or money. Obviously Murat was not providing 24 hour a day care in his office downtown. He was either working remotely or not at all. That means his remark was I wish I didn’t keep getting those direct deposits in my bank account to the tune of 180k a year so I could instead worry about how I am going to pay for all of this.

Ever tried searching for a job or interviewing while a parent is dying? Yeah that will get you hired. What a self-righteous piece of worm shit. I have seen people get laid off when a parent, child or spouse gets sick. After declaring bankruptcy they get to relive their loved ones death during each interview when asked about the gap on their resume.

Here I could bring up some of my own experiences but you know what? It’s none of your FUCKING business. Somewhere along the line I learned that a man only tells his problems to a bottle of whiskey.

Anyway, I am sure it would have been much easier to pay for the funeral in Turkey if he had been laid off. Idiot. I checked his facebook. He was recently in the studio audience of the Tonight Show. This conjured vague memories of posts about caring for his mom. I recalled thinking only a lawyer would post about caring for a sick parent on facebook of all places to promote themselves or garner sympathy.

The greatest fear of many of a certain generation is that they live long enough to be a burden on their children. This is particularly true if their children have families or other obligations, debts, etc. Older people use facebook too. How many will remember Murat’s posts when the time comes to make difficult decisions?

In closing many nursing homes and hospice care nurses are AMAZING and I am sure even an average one is better than a self-absorbed lawyer with no medical training.  Fuck you and goodnight.