Tale of two cities modern edition

In my early 20s I worked at a gas station and was around this guy. We both came from the same area, probably pretty similar socioeconomic status given us both being there and living in a pretty poor drug ridden area. He hadn't been isolated and stunted like me, so he had a bit more going in his life.

Me and this guy were never really friends, but did work together for a couple years. We ended up staying at the job until finishing school. He left for his field, I followed for mine not too long afterward.

My field was rampant with criminal activity and all kinds of horrible shit. I was surrounded by scum who hid behind their title. It was sick, and it's commonplace in that field. I ended up getting away from it after a couple years.

I went back to the gas station as I tried to figure things out. This old coworker comes in as a customer. He pretended to barely know who I was which kind of pissed me off. This attitude would have made sense if we had worked together for like a week 20 years ago, not working together pretty often for a few years.

At the end of the interaction he squinted and asked if everything was in his bag. AKA the thing dickhead customers do and what he used to make fun of after shitty customers would leave. I don't think he meant to do it as a putdown, I think he was and is just that much of a douche that he wasn't thinking. Either way tho, it pissed me off and made me feel like I was already being kicked while I was down.

Now, fast forward to present day. I'm at a job that is more stable than anywhere else I've ever been at, pays more, is outside of the field I went to school for and doesn't even require any sort of degree. He is still in his field, and being bounced around like a beach ball. Pay is supposed to be shit too. He married his first girlfriend. He now has a couple kids. The "normal" life.

I mentioned already that I was pretty stunted and isolated. Yeah. I never had any sort of childhood and was used to always working myself ragged. I'm now at a point where I can actually live my life and do things and let myself have shit. No Michael Jackson, Peter Pan shit going on. Just me being able to live a quiet, descent life, and actually for once get a chance to better understand who I truly am and not be the robotic people pleaser that I'm so used to being.

At one time this doucher pissed me off. Felt like he walked into everything and didn't deserve most of it. Maybe, maybe not. I don't see marrying your first girlfriend, and settling into a dull, "normal" life by the time you're 25 as something to envy. I'd like to be in a happy relationship, but not in one where I'm sure both people aren't really that interested or in love with the other person, like how I speculate it must be with him and his wife.

If he knew anything about my life and how it's going, he'd probably envy the fact that now in my early 30s I get to go on little trips and do fun things. AKA the shit that a lot of people are able to do when they're still a teenager. He'd probably envy the freedom I have.

So, I dunno. The grass is always greener I guess. He's still a douchebag.

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anonymous Other March 15, 2026 at 9:51 pm 0 0