I have seen you use "labor diggers" before, but it really hit today. That's exactly what I was for my ex. I finally had enough and we divorced. My adult daughter and I are now doing life together. We make a great team. And we each have our own roles to play, without taking advantage of the other. It's been wonderful.
This essay is perfection! Using the Sims as analogy makes the point so crystal clear, and avoids so many “potholes” (victim shaming, manosphere hysteria, polarizing etc). Thank you!
You have named some things here, the matter of fact way you talk about yourself and your purpose. How clearly you see yourself. I didn’t know I needed to see someone say this like this. Thank you.
Also, lovely analogy. Thanks for breaking it down. I’ve been reading about your explanations of labor diggers for a while, so this just felt like reinforcement. Thank you for standing in your power! We need you there!
Thank you for a) reminding me that I need to get some Sims playing time in and b) continuing to brilliantly unpack the concept of the labor digger. I was not expecting this double boon, but I'm here for it!
Also, this was so my favorite:
"I should not have needed to prove that my writing could make money for it to deserve space in my life.
It was mine. I cared about it. That should have been enough.
The money simply makes the original advice look especially stupid." 🤣
I haven't played a lot of Sims, so I didn't realize you could do this, but it reminds me a lot of a similar strategy in SimCity 4 of putting all the polluting Industrial zones, garbage dumps and power plants in their own separate cities so you could let other cities have all the skyscrapers, amusement parks, and good schools. If you leave the game alone and don't use mods, it forces self-aware people to deal with the exploitation of all the status symbols and parks and statues depend on an under-educated and sick segment of society to be overworked and die early so other people can live 40 floors up. Eff that noise. I download Geothermal power plants and stuff so the game isn't exactly broken and still poses sone challenges, but it's at least possible in the end to make everyone happy.
This was such a great piece. I’m a sims player and the way you used that to illustrate the point really hit home.
This is FIRE. Brilliantly explained. I'm so glad you choose YOU and that you grace us with your amazing writing
The part about having to find their own socks....🤣🤣🤣 Thank you for this read this morning.
This is one of the best things I have read in life! Im sobbing and I know exactly why this time!
I have seen you use "labor diggers" before, but it really hit today. That's exactly what I was for my ex. I finally had enough and we divorced. My adult daughter and I are now doing life together. We make a great team. And we each have our own roles to play, without taking advantage of the other. It's been wonderful.
I love this! No one verbalized this when I was younger—it was always expected that I would marry and be a good wife 😑
Oh my word! This spoke to my soul. Thank you so much for sharing your gift with the world.
This essay is perfection! Using the Sims as analogy makes the point so crystal clear, and avoids so many “potholes” (victim shaming, manosphere hysteria, polarizing etc). Thank you!
You have named some things here, the matter of fact way you talk about yourself and your purpose. How clearly you see yourself. I didn’t know I needed to see someone say this like this. Thank you.
Also, lovely analogy. Thanks for breaking it down. I’ve been reading about your explanations of labor diggers for a while, so this just felt like reinforcement. Thank you for standing in your power! We need you there!
Thank you for a) reminding me that I need to get some Sims playing time in and b) continuing to brilliantly unpack the concept of the labor digger. I was not expecting this double boon, but I'm here for it!
Also, this was so my favorite:
"I should not have needed to prove that my writing could make money for it to deserve space in my life.
It was mine. I cared about it. That should have been enough.
The money simply makes the original advice look especially stupid." 🤣
So good. 40 million*? Now that’s the kind of audience an article like this deserves. Restacked.
* but I hope it gets even bigger.
Well, Elon Musk once called virtually every human on earth besides him and his billionaire buddies NPCs.
It's virtually the same way men regard women as well.
Like you brilliantly said, someone has to stay home and make sure everything runs smoothly for the ones whose stories matter.
I haven't played a lot of Sims, so I didn't realize you could do this, but it reminds me a lot of a similar strategy in SimCity 4 of putting all the polluting Industrial zones, garbage dumps and power plants in their own separate cities so you could let other cities have all the skyscrapers, amusement parks, and good schools. If you leave the game alone and don't use mods, it forces self-aware people to deal with the exploitation of all the status symbols and parks and statues depend on an under-educated and sick segment of society to be overworked and die early so other people can live 40 floors up. Eff that noise. I download Geothermal power plants and stuff so the game isn't exactly broken and still poses sone challenges, but it's at least possible in the end to make everyone happy.
We can dream.
I'm glad you continue to do so.
"Black stuff"? Was your husband white (or otherwise not Black)? Damn...
Love this so much. Thank you.
This hit hard today.