April Fool’s Day Came Early This Year

Wow, talk about feeling like a complete sucker. I got my tax forms in the mail, and feel like laughing and screaming at the same time. I knew I wasn’t breaking any commission records in 2006, but dayyuuummmm, I didn’t know things were this horrific. No, I’m not going to name numbers, but let’s just say I’m way below average. Even my own middling average.

It’s an insult really. To spend your entire year working six and seven days a week, dealing with morons, getting screwed over by owners and clients alike, only to see that the fruits of your labor barely allow you to break even, and that’s before taxes. Spare me! It really feels rotten, like studying all semester for a final and then flunking. Now I know what JFK Junior must've felt like when he flunked the bar exam. I could go on. Bottom line is I feel like a colossal jerk.

Such rotten news isn’t easy for a former straight-A student and Columbia University graduate to take. I don’t think I’m entitled to a cushy glam gig, mind you, but a living wage would be nice. Especially since I’m more than willing to do actual work. But then again, I’m not completely surprised. Financially, things were rough in 2006, even if I didn’t allow myself to look at the exact numbers from week to week and month to month. I just tried to live from day to day, and I think that may have helped me feel happier over all. At the very least, not tormenting myself with every nickel and dime that passed in and out of my hands allowed me fewer sleepless nights.

Last year was rotten in a lot of other ways, so I’m incredibly glad to have kicked 2006 to the curb. Now we’ll see how bad my accountant thinks the damage will be. The ball’s in his court for the moment. I’ll use that time to give some serious thought to what I need to do next.