So today's my birthday. I've just had a six-day early shift work week; get up at 4 am and get home by 3am. My work is physicly intense; I work mainenance on overhead cranes and do stairs and ladders all day, often carrying 30+ kgs of tools and equipment. I'm usually quite tired by the end of it. Needless to say, I was looking forward to today. Getting some rest and some fun with my family. Then my wife got called in to work.
My wife prepares meals at a retirement home, she basicly cooks for 300+ people every day, most with speciaal dietary needs. They have been understaffed for years, not because of management (they genuinly try their best), but 'cause gouvernment has cut budget term after term even with the rising needs (we live in Belgium). Then covid hit, and lots of staff simply burned out. If one of the cooks calls in sick, they're basicly already in trouble. Sometimes even the manager herself steps in. Belgium's got great social security for now, but corrupt politicians are burning it all to hell whilst lining their pockets/careers.
So no party for her, or for me. I get to watch our three toddlers while she goes to feed the elderly, good soul that she is. Our kids are real sweet but full of energy, I'm completely exhausted. I dropped our food out of tiredness; I had more eggs to make but not enough so I gave them to the kids. It's sunday so there's no stores open. I'm hungry. We had a barbeque planned; that's not gonna happen. We're tucking in early to do it all again tomorrow. And the day after that.
Europe's still a decent place to live; it is however not the paradise some make it out to be. Capitalism is seeping in; worker's rights are getting eroded little by little. They're bringing in migrants to do the work but pay them less. Gouvernment allies themselves with multinational. Public assets are being sold to private firms; yet those private firms get subsidized while raking in profits. Taxes are up; prices are up. We pay arm and leg just to heat our home during winter. And we're lucky, some families had to choose between eating and heating. Gas $8/gallon? We wish it was that cheap. And don't get me started about the company I work for.
The fight was never over. It's starting again, here too. And it's going to be ugly.
Sorry for the rant.