Uma, a nearsighted monkey who lives in Ingleside, works at a funky little bookstore on Broadway. It's near a bunch of clubs and bars and is therefore usually overlooked by most of the people who walk by. Uma can barely pay for her rent and MUNI pass, even though she makes San Francisco minimum wage, which is about the wage of a CEO in Bootjack, CA. Uma is bummed out because she always has to scrounge for each meal. She finally decides to get a second job, so that she can at least eat real food...
Uma looks and looks everywhere, but can find nothing, so she decides to busk. Being a monkey, this is actually quite easy. All she has to do is dance around. This impresses all the dumb tourists, and they cough up lots of change. This falls from their gaping mouths and into her basket. The money is usually dirty because it is coughed up, so she has to take it to the laundromat, where it gets laundered. Pretty soon, Uma is making enough money to start shopping at Trader John's, which is totally awesome. The food tastes great... But this isn't enough for her. Now that she's got a taste for the finer things in life, she decides that she has to do more. She starts busking more and more, until she's as much a fixture of the city as Coit Tower.
The owner of the bookstore is wondering where she is all the time. He decides to tell her to stop busking and come back to the store, and even offers to raise her pay. The problem is that she has now become a protected treasure of the city and is required by law to perform every day to the delight of all the precious tourists who visit the city from all over the world. Uma likes her double life and no longer feels bummed at all, but her boss really needs her to work more hours at the bookstore.
NOTE TO READERS:
These two people are in a bit of a pickle. If you have any suggestions on what Uma and/or her boss can do, just comment here and I will be sure to forward your suggestions to both of them!
4 comments:
Follow your heart you beautiful monkey! If you want to busk, then busk 'til you drop! It puts food in your stomach and you get more money doing something that seems to affect on people. Why not keep doing it?
Now, as for the bookstore, it was probably a bad idea that you didn't tell your boss that you basically quit. But don't worry about leaving. Plenty of people need a job in the city and working in a bookstore can be some other persons dream! Hell, I'll take it off your' hands!
You are in a very beneficial position Uma. You're the belle of the ball. Now all you need to figure out is, what do you want more? Either way, you win. So Huzzah!
Cheers
Wow, this is a real predicament. I'm slightly torn.
On one hand, I feel like Uma should follow her heart and it seems like her heart is telling her to busk; especially seeing as how lucrative this option seems to be. On the other hand, her boss at the book store took a chance by hiring her and seems to be a decent guy if he's offering her more money.
I think the best thing to do would be to come up with a compromise. Perhaps Uma could change locations and busk in front of the bookstore. Once enough people know to come to the bookstore to see her perform, she could begin busking inside the bookstore. The owner could then pay her for the time she is busking in and around the bookstore. That way, she still gets her money on the side from tips, still makes an income from the bookstore and the bookstore will hopefully get more business.
Added business means more income. Once the store is lucrative enough, the owner can hire another employee to pick up the extra work that Uma will no longer be doing, seeing as she will be busking. Win-win?
Uma - forget the bookstore, you are a star! I would love to see you perform, where can I find you? I know your boss is giving you a hard time about the hours at work, I totally feel you on that.... I say, pursue your stardom and make that money!
Follow your dream Uma! If you don't want to work at the bookstore, then don't want to work at the bookstore. I'd say do what will keep you afloat financially, especially in this economy. Best of luck!
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