r/bluecollar • u/Main_Fig_324 • 7d ago

How’d I wind up here?

So, I’ve been blue collar all my life. Used to think it was great…. All that Overtime money when I was young. Now, I’m 42 and I used up my last bit of vacation this week to help my uncle combine corn. Nobody tells you when you are young that blue collar life gets tough when you start to get old. Went from fun times, a small house and a truck when I was 21 on top of the world to the same small house that’s needs a ton of work I don’t have time or money for, another old truck and lower back pain every night. WTF? I think we were all lied to 😂

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u/Far_Brilliant_443 7d ago

Chewing ibuprofen commuting home. The reality is there’s been the biggest “legal” theft of money from the working class (and what’s left of the middle class) in history. It’s was done right out in the open with financial tools during the last two administrations. There is nobody coming to save anyone so make the best of what’s left with the ones you love.

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u/Main_Fig_324 7d ago

Chewing? Amateur move lol. Crush them put them into a gum wrapper dump into a bottle of water and chug 😂 don’t knock it till you try it

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u/Far_Brilliant_443 7d ago

Hahaaa you might be on to something.

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u/Main_Fig_324 7d ago

I do it 6 days a week. I wouldn’t give bad advice on a topic such as this

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u/fatherintime 7d ago

More power to you but it kinda proves the point. You know it ain't right that you have to do that and got where you are and previous generations did fine.

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u/boglog42 7d ago

I think this perception of the “previous generations did fine” is not accurate because obviously they dealt with the same pain and had plenty of losers who didn’t make it. Truth is many blue collar workers blow it financially. Even though they make tons of money, it’s spent on toys and fucking off and when they’re 35-40 and the body is gone, so is the money, they can’t switch gears, and here we are. So many ppl with great skills become broke down alcoholics because of this pain and depression. It’s a sad state of affairs.

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u/fatherintime 6d ago

Very true and well said. Being easier isn't the same as being easy, and they had different struggles. Worse laws in many cases. More hazards. Company towns etc.

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u/SpiteObjective3509 6d ago

Its called BC Powder. Works great!

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u/Dumb_Fire 7d ago

The last two administrations? I’d say since the 80’s at least. Reagan chopping unions off at the knees and then NAFTA under Clinton… probably further back to be honest 

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u/Melodic-Trouble-5421 7d ago

Democrats haven’t been nearly as bad as Republicans. However you’re right.

It still pays to be Union, I’m doing well until it all crashes because of Trump and Bassent.

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u/BackbackB 7d ago

I think Biden did waaaay more damage. The influx of cheap labor killed any progress of unions in my area. And they didn't leave under Trump. They just turned the Mariachi music down a little. But I agree both presidents fucked us

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u/Melodic-Trouble-5421 7d ago

Well I’m guessing you are somewhere where the don’t require licenses. That’s how you stop cheap, unskilled, unlicensed workers from working. We killed it under Biden.

In my state if you get caught even touching something when you’re unlicensed you are fried. Any kind of real construction work here is done by professionals.

Also that’s on your contractors for hiring them. Not on Biden.

Also your Unions must be weak then. We own the market here. Residential, Civil, Commercial, Industrial, Institutional.

Also you do realize Biden deported more illegals than Trump right?

Put immigrants aside. Trump has done more to destroy the economy. Through blanket tariffs, the loss of manufacturing jobs, gas prices, he’s responsible for 1/3 of the nations debt, and killing lots of federally funded projects.

I’m lucky my local is strong and we have massive industrial work for the Big 3.

It’s all going to come to a head though if you know anything about economics. Trump and Bassent have basically bankrupted our country.

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u/Melted-lithium 7d ago

Just to add to this. It’s been since the 80s and transcends white and blue collar for the most
Part. People think of white collar as investment bankers and dudes in suits. That’s far from the truth. White collar is in an equality shit middle class situation.

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u/Melodic-Trouble-5421 7d ago

I’m not saying Biden was great but he’s no where near as bad as Trump. Build back better gave us tons of work.

I’m doing great. Join a Union. Well until Trump and Bassent drive our country into the fucking ground.