The Mock Business

Tennis is a fresh-faced starlet on the intertwingled longtail to the disruptive sports of tomorrow -as badminton became a thing of the past-. Swimming thinks you are so 2005.

If you're like thousands of other programmers, hackers, or other creative professionls out there, at one point in time you'd have considered not bringing your swimming costumes on Monday. And thats because you're constantly missing the point.

So there's this table with three chairs around it. It's a very old table. These same people have been sitting there forever. A man (to be known as Mr Mock) sits in one spot. Across him is you. And then there's that other chair.

I've sat there frequently. Basically, the Mr Mock pays me to find the second guy and convince him to buy what Mr Mock is selling. It's a pretty important function, maybe the most important. Without it, there's just one guy sitting at a table and nothing happens.

For performing this function, generally I'm contracted on a "work-for-hire" basis. That's nice and lucrative. Generally. This year, I'm contracted again, on a "work-for-nothing" basis. (imagine a poor donkey getting its ass kicked. That's just so not me)

If I were an actor and was cast in a potato chip commercial I’d be getting a check every thirteen weeks. If -just- some people says I was an actor, then I'd earn more from stupid people. But for all my efforts with Mr Mock, I get nothing; not even potato chips (although i'd personally prefer computer chips).

And like many small start-ups, I saw a lot of business dry up in the 3rd quarter this year. At this point in time, it seemed like I am being conspired against. Loyal clients (not that there were any to start with) started disappearing - only to reappear, walking around that old table during the entire duration of the meeting. In all fairness of course, there were clients who, despite their inability to pay, stuck with the Mr Mock's business. Others who borrowed a bright red trenchcoat to barter for a extra large one.

I'll refrain from telling the whole story of my business. Just a quick FYI, the original title for the post was

"The Fock Business"

Just getting that out there...

The moral being: never get involved in a land war in Vietnam (or not bring swimming costume for no reason).