5.21.2011

Unemployment Object Memoirs: A Tribute to Gas Tank


I decided to write thank you notes to the various objects that are helping me get through unemployment. This edition is dedicated to Gas Tank.
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Dear Gas Tank,

A few days ago, I decided to take life old school and send a 10th birthday card to my brother via Mailbox. Proud of myself for remembering, I was a bit surprised when my mother called to inform me that:

1.     My brother’s birthday is in November.
2.     He is 22.
3.     I sent the card to my grandparents’ house.

Under normal circumstances this would have been cause for alarm, but as I am still afflicted with a severe case of unemployment, this apparent loss of brain function was the least of my concerns. What was upsetting, however, was that my brother is graduating from college on Sunday, which means one thing I hate: a long car ride (long being defined as anything more than the time it takes me to eat a can of ginger snaps).

Car rides in Virginia are particularly harrowing, as many people choose bumper stickers that depict unfortunate yields of American culture, including Confederate Flags, Jesus’ opposition to Darwinian turtles, and Donald Trump’s toupee. Nevertheless, my brother had to sit through my overpriced education graduations, so I suppose I should do the same for him.

I decided to take you, Gas Tank, out with car for a test run to make sure I still possess the ability to cut people off in traffic while badly singing to French songs blasting from stereo. Thankfully, I still got it! Not so thankfully, you crapped out on me after two miles. Sure, the periphery accessories of car still function properly. I can still use car to play weird techno music, or store a few hundred cases of Chapstick. Sure, car still looks strong and stable on the outside. But YOU, Gas Tank, are the lifeline of car.

Now I realize that you have been running on empty for nearly a year. Well guess what? So have I! Without your cooperation, car will become like me – a decorative lawn piece used for everything but its intended function! Like you, Gas Tank, I have been running on empty for the entire year, forced into meaningless tasks like maintaining a blog about objects that help me get through unemployment. But that doesn’t mean I can give up! If I did, who would be left to take perpetually unpaid internships at organizations no one has ever heard of? Who would repeat overused jokes about Republicans? Who would send my brother birthday cards?

So you see, Gas Tank, even though you seem to have nothing left to keep you going, it’s time to dig deep and find that inner inspiration that has powered you to transport me to all of those unpaid internships. I realize this may be difficult given your…mechanized look at life, but in the end, you will understand how important this is, mostly because gas is like $4 per gallon, and I am really broke.

Where the hell is my AAA card?,

Mala

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Unemployment Object Memoirs by Mala Kumar are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution .