What has been stated many times - Hard work never hurt anyone...is such a truism, and in fact it has proven beneficial in many instances. Michael - you mentioned you worked in a factory to pay for college, well we are brothers in that regard as I did the exact same.
I worked at Remington Arms gun manufacturer in Ilion NY while I went to college. This was the late 70's and I worked piece work. I was considered a floater as I could handle many of the jobs from lathe work, to drill press, to breach bore and much more. It was dirty work; it was hard work especially in the summers when there was no AC to cool down the inside of the brick building. But through it all I kept my eye on the ball and that was to keep food on my families table, a roof over our heads and earn my education.
Later in life when I had my career in the computer tech field, I happened into starting a janitorial/maintenance business. For 13 years I worked my full-time job and had a very active sideline hustle. The business took its toll on my body hauling the equipment in/out of the van and running the buffers, strippers, etc. But I cleaned toilets, strip/waxed floors, vacuumed, dusted, and anything else the customer needed cleaned.
I tell you all of this because there is also a lot of pride that comes from the hard work ethic. And it is my feeling that the youth of today does not know what that pride feels like, and may never know. Lastly, I will say that at no time did I feel like the peasant, but I held my head high knowing that I was not only contributing for the customer and their patron's sake, but I was also contributing for my family's sake.
This is the first time I have heard the idea of “funemployment.” At first I thought it was “fun-employment” - doing something you greatly enjoyed. But context revealed you meant “f-unemployment” which my father would have called “goofing off.” That begs the question “then who will pay for one’s welfare checks?” But I had forgotten about “Modern Economic Theory” the idea that the government can simply print our GDP without the need for any labor, rent or investment. Only a party of complete grifters could believe in this stuff because in their own personal cases it seems to work!
After ten years as an army officer, I left during the post-Desert Storm & end of the Cold War force reductions. I personified the “peace dividend.” I worked for the next ten years in automotive manufacturing facilities for one of the Big 3. I was amazed at the number of smart, well educated people I found working the assembly line.
I was also amazed at the number of well educated people with professional degrees (mostly lawyers) that I chanced to meet in social circles who looked down on manufacturing people like me, because it was “manual labor” and not “brain work.”
My favorite rebuttal to their sneers was, “I made that luxury SUV you’re driving.”
I learned a lot about people in that environment. It was an education in itself.
I've only found one job I was unwilling to do. After my legs went to hell, chasing guys half my age around jobsites all day was a no go, I had to switch gears for the first time in probably 25 years. One suggested "job" that came my way was phoning people that had trouble paying their bills and "suggesting" they should pay up, or else.
When I got sick, our saving depleted at an astonishing rate and my monthly income dropped to less than I made in a week. The learning curve was very steep. Some of my bills got put off until I could get to them. Haranguing folks for what I was going through just didn't sit well with me. I didn't get a job driving a honey wagon because I was told mt Spanish wasn't up to snuff. I would have preferred the honey wagon over the phone intimidation.
Ultimately ended up consulting and selling some home built stuff to make ends meet until we figured everything out.
Nice piece Michael. I'll have to admit that I found at least one job too undesirable to perform. After one day of installing a flat roof in Freeport, Grand Bahama, I went back to forms carpentry. When one is 20 and likes to eat, almost any job that has pay is worth doing. LBJ is to blame for welfare dependency and his regime seeded the notion into the Democrat Party.
Well, she was; not to be confused with the Great Depression. I never like the term “Great Recession,” as it just seemed to be Gen Alphabet’s way of thinking current hardships were as bad as what their grandparents endured.
What has been stated many times - Hard work never hurt anyone...is such a truism, and in fact it has proven beneficial in many instances. Michael - you mentioned you worked in a factory to pay for college, well we are brothers in that regard as I did the exact same.
I worked at Remington Arms gun manufacturer in Ilion NY while I went to college. This was the late 70's and I worked piece work. I was considered a floater as I could handle many of the jobs from lathe work, to drill press, to breach bore and much more. It was dirty work; it was hard work especially in the summers when there was no AC to cool down the inside of the brick building. But through it all I kept my eye on the ball and that was to keep food on my families table, a roof over our heads and earn my education.
Later in life when I had my career in the computer tech field, I happened into starting a janitorial/maintenance business. For 13 years I worked my full-time job and had a very active sideline hustle. The business took its toll on my body hauling the equipment in/out of the van and running the buffers, strippers, etc. But I cleaned toilets, strip/waxed floors, vacuumed, dusted, and anything else the customer needed cleaned.
I tell you all of this because there is also a lot of pride that comes from the hard work ethic. And it is my feeling that the youth of today does not know what that pride feels like, and may never know. Lastly, I will say that at no time did I feel like the peasant, but I held my head high knowing that I was not only contributing for the customer and their patron's sake, but I was also contributing for my family's sake.
This is the first time I have heard the idea of “funemployment.” At first I thought it was “fun-employment” - doing something you greatly enjoyed. But context revealed you meant “f-unemployment” which my father would have called “goofing off.” That begs the question “then who will pay for one’s welfare checks?” But I had forgotten about “Modern Economic Theory” the idea that the government can simply print our GDP without the need for any labor, rent or investment. Only a party of complete grifters could believe in this stuff because in their own personal cases it seems to work!
It is a thing: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/funemployment.asp
Correction: I should have typed “Modern Monetary Theory!” for the folie-de-jour!
After ten years as an army officer, I left during the post-Desert Storm & end of the Cold War force reductions. I personified the “peace dividend.” I worked for the next ten years in automotive manufacturing facilities for one of the Big 3. I was amazed at the number of smart, well educated people I found working the assembly line.
I was also amazed at the number of well educated people with professional degrees (mostly lawyers) that I chanced to meet in social circles who looked down on manufacturing people like me, because it was “manual labor” and not “brain work.”
My favorite rebuttal to their sneers was, “I made that luxury SUV you’re driving.”
I learned a lot about people in that environment. It was an education in itself.
I think the only thing close to having a girlfriend at thirteen would be driving a bulldozer!
I've only found one job I was unwilling to do. After my legs went to hell, chasing guys half my age around jobsites all day was a no go, I had to switch gears for the first time in probably 25 years. One suggested "job" that came my way was phoning people that had trouble paying their bills and "suggesting" they should pay up, or else.
When I got sick, our saving depleted at an astonishing rate and my monthly income dropped to less than I made in a week. The learning curve was very steep. Some of my bills got put off until I could get to them. Haranguing folks for what I was going through just didn't sit well with me. I didn't get a job driving a honey wagon because I was told mt Spanish wasn't up to snuff. I would have preferred the honey wagon over the phone intimidation.
Ultimately ended up consulting and selling some home built stuff to make ends meet until we figured everything out.
Do you smell that, son ? That's conspiracy. Love the smell of conspiracy in the mornin'... makes ya get up and go to work.
Nice piece Michael. I'll have to admit that I found at least one job too undesirable to perform. After one day of installing a flat roof in Freeport, Grand Bahama, I went back to forms carpentry. When one is 20 and likes to eat, almost any job that has pay is worth doing. LBJ is to blame for welfare dependency and his regime seeded the notion into the Democrat Party.
As evidenced by the (perhaps apocryphal) quote of LBJ: I’ll have those n*****s voting Democratic for 200 years.
I've used that quote of LBJ many times.
Not intended I'm sure, but I like how you suggest Pelosi was in office during the Great Recession! :)
Well, she was; not to be confused with the Great Depression. I never like the term “Great Recession,” as it just seemed to be Gen Alphabet’s way of thinking current hardships were as bad as what their grandparents endured.
Yup. Brain thought Great Depression...so it gave me a laugh...
👏👏 as accurate as it gets