I tried to take a little time away from writing and I made it nearly two days. I might be addicted. First things first, thank you all for making 365 my most popular post ever. I appreciate all of the comments- public and private- and feedback as always; it keeps me going.
As it turns out, in the real world you need a Social Security card to get a job in the United States. I lost mine years ago, probably about the same time I lost the ability to function as an adult. So, yesterday I took a few hours off of work and had the absolute pleasure of standing and sitting in line for over two hours at the Social Security Office in Minneapolis. If you've never had the chance to go there for any reason, try to hold out until you're at least 62.
I arrived at the S.S.A on Chicago Ave. at 8:50am, expecting to beat the potential morning rush. I could actually see the line forming from where I parked, and I had the thought that this was what the Great Wall of China must look like from outer space. Marvelous.
I found my spot in the back of the line which quickly became the middle as i had apparently guessed correctly that there would be a rush. The queue moved at a pace equal to that of a stoned sloth. In about a half hour I made the final turn and up the stairs toward the door. I began to converse with a couple Somalia gentlemen about how invasive the search process can be in a government building. We joked about dangerous retirees, and no sooner had we stopped laughing, than we saw an elderly woman being frisked then wanded after failing to pass through the metal detector without alarm. She was then made to sit in a chair to remove her shoes which she was not allowed any assistance for. Meanwhile, the whole line stood still.
Senior citizen crisis averted, I inched closer and closer to security. One thing I noticed is that they were very thorough. They went through wallets, pockets, papers, and electronics. Actually, they did that for everybody except me. Being a white male apparently has that privelage. My belongings were not touched and I was waved through. I was the only one, and I felt kind of bad because I was quite literally the only white person other than the security guards. Fuck.
I checked in and found a chair where I sat for over an hour. When my number was finally called, the whole transaction took under three minutes and I was leaving. As I walked by all of the service windows, less than half of them were attended. Why weren't there more employees? The business is assuredly booming, and I happen to know there's a lot of money flowing in their direction.
Something to ponder. In case anybody wonders, I did try to apply for a new card on line, but the system could not verify who I was. And in case you're wondering if that is my SSN in the title, yes it is. My hope is that somebody will steal my identity and help pay off over $30,000 in student loans that will haunt me forever. And that's a wrap.
As it turns out, in the real world you need a Social Security card to get a job in the United States. I lost mine years ago, probably about the same time I lost the ability to function as an adult. So, yesterday I took a few hours off of work and had the absolute pleasure of standing and sitting in line for over two hours at the Social Security Office in Minneapolis. If you've never had the chance to go there for any reason, try to hold out until you're at least 62.
I arrived at the S.S.A on Chicago Ave. at 8:50am, expecting to beat the potential morning rush. I could actually see the line forming from where I parked, and I had the thought that this was what the Great Wall of China must look like from outer space. Marvelous.
I found my spot in the back of the line which quickly became the middle as i had apparently guessed correctly that there would be a rush. The queue moved at a pace equal to that of a stoned sloth. In about a half hour I made the final turn and up the stairs toward the door. I began to converse with a couple Somalia gentlemen about how invasive the search process can be in a government building. We joked about dangerous retirees, and no sooner had we stopped laughing, than we saw an elderly woman being frisked then wanded after failing to pass through the metal detector without alarm. She was then made to sit in a chair to remove her shoes which she was not allowed any assistance for. Meanwhile, the whole line stood still.
Senior citizen crisis averted, I inched closer and closer to security. One thing I noticed is that they were very thorough. They went through wallets, pockets, papers, and electronics. Actually, they did that for everybody except me. Being a white male apparently has that privelage. My belongings were not touched and I was waved through. I was the only one, and I felt kind of bad because I was quite literally the only white person other than the security guards. Fuck.
I checked in and found a chair where I sat for over an hour. When my number was finally called, the whole transaction took under three minutes and I was leaving. As I walked by all of the service windows, less than half of them were attended. Why weren't there more employees? The business is assuredly booming, and I happen to know there's a lot of money flowing in their direction.
Something to ponder. In case anybody wonders, I did try to apply for a new card on line, but the system could not verify who I was. And in case you're wondering if that is my SSN in the title, yes it is. My hope is that somebody will steal my identity and help pay off over $30,000 in student loans that will haunt me forever. And that's a wrap.
