Rant #2,122: Looking for the Good Times

Today is April 12, just another day on the calendar.

As I look at that calendar, in 16 days, I will be 61 years old.

That is good, I am happy to reach another milestone, although in the real world, 61 is not good.

I can't find a job, as you well know, nobody wants me as an employee, and after about 18 months of looking for new employment, it is pretty clear that there is plenty of age discrimination out there, but go prove it!

The way job ads are written and worded certainly demonstrates that the job world is not looking for a seasoned 60-something to fill their open positions. "Recent grad" is one of those buzz terms, and there are many, many others that employers use to "code" their job openings.

"Self starter" is another one, and there are just so many more, too numerous to name here.

Anybody who has been doing what I have been doing has seen it too, and they know exactly what I am talking about.

I have tried, and continue to try to find another job--my workplace is at the horrid stage right now as the dark at the end of the tunnel grows closer each and every day--and morale is at an all-time low.

When you beat a dead horse, the horse is dead already, so why continue to beat it?

Other circumstance at my workplace, which I won't go into now, also give me the feeling that the Sword of Damocles is constantly hanging over my head, and if you can work like that, bully for you, but let me tell you, it is really, really difficult to do so.

I only have the love of my family and my professional pride to help me get through the day, and little else.

That is why I look forward to the simple things, things that I can enjoy and that take me away from this nonsense, even if it is for a very short time.

And that is why I am looking forward to April 21, this year's date for the annual Record Store Day celebration.

Record stores around the country and around the world will be participating in this day, which is a celebration of independent record stores, what they bring to downtown areas away from the big box stores and the malls, and how they are a solid part of the community.

Just a few years ago, record stores were threatened by total extinction, due to the ways of the music business, which leads towards streaming content rather than owning it.

But with the resurgence of vinyl records in recent years, all of a sudden, record stores became hot again, and Record Store Day celebrates the uniqueness of each and every one of these venues.

Labels big and small release special products for the day, and people literally from eight to 80 scramble to collect these instant rarities and add them to their collections.

Many stores add in specials of their own, on-site concerts, and other events to make this day even bigger than it is.

Others have early bird specials and donate money to charity.

It is really a nice day for record collectors and record stores alike, and nothing takes me away from the drudgery that I am currently in than looking for, finding, purchasing and eventually listening to a record that I purchase from my local record store, and magnify that many-fold on Record Store Day.

This year, there are specials from Bowie to Led Zeppelin to everything in between, in numerous different formats--seven inch singles, albums, and other variations like CDs and cassettes.

But the bulk of the offerings will be on vinyl, proving once again that the best way to listen to music is on this format.

Sure, many of the day's releases will be kind of pricey, but based on their almost instant rarity, you can say that they are worth it entirely. For a complete list of what will be available that day, go to https://www.recordstoreday.com/.

The record store I goes to charges a $10 entry fee for early birds, and donates that money to animal-based charities, so if you mix that with all the goodies that I will find that day, I really can't go wrong by being there early and shopping there that day.

It is something to look forward to, that I look forward to every year.

And then, two days later, it is back to work, to a place that is toxic and is literally taking the life out of me.

I guess you truly can't have everything.