44 years old... feeling distant from school friends based on our jobs.

We got along great back in school...

But as our jobs and lives went in different directions,

I'm in production at a big corp, and my friend is a civil servant...

I've been working for 20 years, and my friend has been a civil servant for 10...

At some point, conversation just became really hard.

The friendship from school ended there, and maybe because our job fields are so different, there's just no common ground...

There's this subtle tension about salaries, like 'I make less than you,' etc.

He kept making uncomfortable comments, so I said, 'You became the civil servant you wanted so much, what's the complaint? You're living the life you dreamed of.'

He says he's just venting... but one or two uncomfortable things keep popping up.

Honestly, it leads to annoyance, and I feel like he definitely has an inferiority complex toward me.

Even over small things, it feels like we're lowkey power tripping... a bit...

Outside of this friend, even at high school reunions... regarding jobs,

Friends at SMEs or in the trucking business... they're lowkey jealous of my job.

Since I'm in production at a big corp, the pay is decent, but at SMEs, the pay isn't much, and in trucking... it depends on how hard you work,

so their pay is determined by their own effort...

Hearing that stuff makes me feel awkward.

Actually, it's more comfortable and the conversation flows better with friends at other big corps...

I guess... because we're in similar boats...

Maybe that's why at some point, even with my civil servant friend, we only talk about business or keep it brief...

Even when we meet, we can't talk as openly as we used to...

I guess I just have to accept this part of life~~

Happy New Year 2026 to everyone at Cliang!