“The Truth Hurts.” or “What the fuck do you know?”
Well for a while now I’ve been thinking about work.
Sometimes about my work but more about the work friends my own age and with similar skill sets as I and what jobs they have.
Plus I’ve been having some … how can this be said … philosophical differences with the purpose behind why I do what I do and if it’s really making a difference or having any sort of impact and if not then why the hell am I squandering my time and talents in essentially a thankless position that has no room for advancement? I’ve been waiting for some district position that each year seems to be more and more of a phantom.
So the reason I’m saying all this is so it’s understood that my next chapter to this little tale isn’t coming out of the blue.
….
I’m having lunch with my folks at Logan’s Roadhouse - great burgers, good salads and my dad likes to throw the peanuts on the floor - plus they serve crack bread. Literally they replace some of the flour wih crack, I’m sure, or maybe coke but anyway the bread is a meal in itself.
So I’m talking about work and they ask about the budget cuts and I mention that the county is considerng getting rid of the technology positions all together. My dad claps his hands and says “Oh that’s great. Now you can go out and get a real job.”
This isn’t new. He’s been saying I should get a real job every year for about a year after I started working in the school system. To some degree I understand his point - the pay is terrible. But they string you along with perks, like two months off during the summer, but screw you over with crap like chaperoning dances, and other school functions… anywho I digress.
We are getting ready to leave but mom has to use the restroom. So while she’s away I ask my dad what he has against my job and why he thinks it would be good if they got rid of the tech position: “Because then you’d have to go out and find another job. You won’t do anything unless you are forced to.”
“What?” I say. “You say I’m in a rut.”
“Yes. You’re comfortable. You like to find a spot and sit there until something comes along and forces you too move. That’s what you’ve always done. You’ll starve for one day a week if you can eat ok the rest of the time. Being forced to find another job will get you out there and you’d find something that will pay much better for the skills you have.”
Hmm… ok. So a little face slap with a compliment at the end. In your best interest, son, sorta thing.
Mom arrives and we go shoe shopping.
….
I am always open to self reflection and when given advice, even advice I don’t agree with, I’ll at least consider it.
So I think about this for a while on my drive home. My dad is a no nonsense type of person and he’ll speak his mind if he thinks it’s right. I start to examine my career choices over the last couple years and there is truth to what he says. I examine myself and find comfort in steady solid routine even when it’s just enough to maintain life. Is that sick? Fear? Cowardice? Masochisim? Prudence?
Would I be having anywhere near the financial issues I have if I had gone out and pursued another job earlier? Is all my angst financial or mental or imposed? Am I short changing myself? People I know are moving on and it’s paying off in spades for them.
Does a kernal of truth warrant a life changing shift? If the kernal is important enough?
Very interesting and revealing post. Thanks for sharing.
I can relate to what your dad is saying in myself. I’m always scared to look for a new position because I’m comfortable where I am. What if the new position doesn’t work out? How will I feed my family? etc.. However, the truth is there are tons of jobs out there looking for skilled, hard-working people. I’m sure if you looked, you would find a great job. You might need to stretch your existing skill-set a bit, but that will provide growth.
Just make sure it isn’t a job that depends upon the math surrounding RPG character development.
The Irredeemable Shag
http://onceuponageeek.com
I’d love to hear him define what a “real job” is!?! I do not know anyone with a job by me that gives what a job did in your father’s day. Pensions, benefits, paid holidays- is that a real job?
They are rare now. Be happy you are not in real estate, work for Pratt n’ Whitney, build homes, work as an electrician, plumber, a barber, a cop, a car salesman, etc. The only real jobs in my area are in medicine/health care.
And we would have no doctors without teachers-
Who in your family has by his difinition “a real job?” Does he think you should have stayed in the Marines or become a cook?
I’m not sure what a real job is either but I think he wasn’t commenting specifically on my job but more on the pay of the job.
If I was a cook I’d never get a job. Not many people want chicken and rice for every meal.
Like I said, even if I don’t like what someone says, I’ll give it some thought if there is truth in it. To do otherwise would be close minded. Also this isn’t a surprise and something I have been privately thinking about for a while now. (Maybe I just needed one more push. :???:)
We’ll see how it goes from here.
I don’t know about the bluntness, but I think he’s got a point. You need to look at how happy you are, how many more years you want to do this, and if making more money would make you happier. Holly and I are both in the same boat. I’m working a crappy tech entry job because that’s all I could get, and Holly should be a full professor somewhere by now. Being unemployed was the kick I needed to make some changes.
But if you like your job, and the rewards outweigh the crap, then you have your answer.
I haven’t talked to (or seen) you in many, many moons, but from what I’ve heard (and seen), you are quite the brain in some skill sets that are very marketable. We ALL need that verbal slap in the face once in awhile to make us reflect on things that need reflecting on. Sometimes it stops at reflection, and other times it leads to a turn in the road that will profoundly change one’s life forever and lead to things never thought possible. If someone told me a few years ago that I’d be living and working (and staying!!) in Montana, I would’ve said they need to change meth suppliers. It sounds like you are ready for a change. However, if you truly LOVE what you do, then that must weigh heavily on any decision. If your heart is not in it anymore, get on with making that change NOW. Just ride the current job until you get that right opportunity. Oh, and whatever your do, blog it
Liking your job is the key- my step-son has had been doing charter fishing for nine years and has never been happier. He will never get rich doing this. His income fluctuates with the seasons and the weather - there is no sick pay or company benefits. Yet, for him, the personal joy of being able to do what he loves is priceless.
I have a cousin who is a forest ranger in Alaska - he has a degree in biology. He does not make a lot of money but he loves what he does. He calls it the job of his heart.
Just a thought here but how much more money would you need to be paid for your job to be considered a real job?
Our county just laid off over a hundred county workers (police, fire, EMT’s,) due to our local recession. The food banks are bare of food. The only jobs pay min. wage if one can get that job.
If your area is not having financing issues and there is not a housing issue, getting a different job at the moment might not be too difficult. Of course there is always going back to school to qualify for a different profession or to advance in the one you are in.
I think it is okay to not be a type A super-ambitious person. We are more relaxed and enjoy the time we have more, I think. Don’t beat yourself up for not being a “quarterback” or whatever. I sometimes wish I was a more ambitious person, but it seems to be a genetic thing or something, bleh.