Todays Times has an article on something I've been saying for a long long time now. When I graduated high school back in 93, I was one of a handful that graduated who was actuely interested in blue collar work. Sure I wanted to go to college (although after my years in high school I should have known better) and get some form of degree - but working a desk job never totally appealed to me. I was always an attention whore. I love shmoozing the public.
So while I entered the collegiate world, I was not totally happy there. I had my interests, but a degree program never allowed me the flexibility I wanted to learn as I saw fit. See the problem? I had a great attitude about learning.
Working in a kitchen and a deli did wonders for me. I showed me opportunities I never considered, and taught me about the publics desires. Giving me an inkling on how to market myself and the products I was dealing with.
I consider those early years my education. It's where I cut my teeth on getting sweaty and dirty, and the payoff of a hard days labor. And Im not just talking a paycheck either. Im talking about the satisfaction of knowing I did my best, and made people happy.
And thats something that those in the white collar world, all my classmates who went into computing and law and all that will never know. I spent time in the white collar world - and I can honestly say working 9-5 is a wonderful thing. But it's hollow.
Now it's been said that behind the skin of every good cook is a rockstar waiting to break free. And there is good reason for that. Be you a bricklayer, tin-knocker, baker, or landscaper - you create. And create endlessly. Each day you are a step closer to your goal. For a cook - that goal is satified clients who tell friends. For a mason, its finishing the wall to specs. For a landscaper, its 4 seasons of beauty.
And aside from the obvious near-instant gratification you can get in a blue collar job, theres the intangible things as well. My personal view is it's a legacy. If you, as a cook, can expand business - and bring new ideas and foods to the table - have them accepted, and sell well - you've just created a legacy. How many of us can say we remember certain dishes when we were kids - and how they changed the way we eat?
Have you ever walked by a wall, caught some plaster medallion out of the corner of your eye, stood back - and marveled at the overall design of the structure?
Part of what Forgotten-Roanoke is all about is a big thank-you to those who built this town. It's an appreciation for the craftsman, the artisans, the folks who bled, sweat, and bled some more to get this town done. It's looking at what they created, and why. And each brick laid in this town has meaning, has a story.
Plus, heres the real deal about blue collar work. Sure its tough, and sure it keeps you running - but all the really high tech developments are coming home, and they are going to need people to install them. Make them work properly. Run the wires behind walls and all that. as more high-tech comes home, the more we need qualified people to install it. Even the materials themselves are changing - look at the C2C program.
Ask yourselves this: Do you want to be held hostage by a plumber? You will be, if your kids do not understand the value of having a trade. The fewer plumbers, carpinters, bricklayers we have- the more they can charge. You want your kid to make money? Forget being a doctor - too restrictive. The malpractice insurance alone could crush any profit. A lawyer? Well, there is an arguement to be made for that - but thats all it is. Arguing. Computers and all the rest - well, half my class went into the computer field - and last I heard, half of that half had to go back to school to learn a entirely new trade. The market is flooded with computer programmers and such.
Parents, tell your kids - Blue Collar ain't so bad. It provides a good life, a stable life. And theres a sense of personal satisfaction you will not get anywhere else. Besides - your kid could be the next Lee Iacocca. There are no limits to what you can do with your hands and your brain.
So while I entered the collegiate world, I was not totally happy there. I had my interests, but a degree program never allowed me the flexibility I wanted to learn as I saw fit. See the problem? I had a great attitude about learning.
Working in a kitchen and a deli did wonders for me. I showed me opportunities I never considered, and taught me about the publics desires. Giving me an inkling on how to market myself and the products I was dealing with.
I consider those early years my education. It's where I cut my teeth on getting sweaty and dirty, and the payoff of a hard days labor. And Im not just talking a paycheck either. Im talking about the satisfaction of knowing I did my best, and made people happy.
And thats something that those in the white collar world, all my classmates who went into computing and law and all that will never know. I spent time in the white collar world - and I can honestly say working 9-5 is a wonderful thing. But it's hollow.
Now it's been said that behind the skin of every good cook is a rockstar waiting to break free. And there is good reason for that. Be you a bricklayer, tin-knocker, baker, or landscaper - you create. And create endlessly. Each day you are a step closer to your goal. For a cook - that goal is satified clients who tell friends. For a mason, its finishing the wall to specs. For a landscaper, its 4 seasons of beauty.
And aside from the obvious near-instant gratification you can get in a blue collar job, theres the intangible things as well. My personal view is it's a legacy. If you, as a cook, can expand business - and bring new ideas and foods to the table - have them accepted, and sell well - you've just created a legacy. How many of us can say we remember certain dishes when we were kids - and how they changed the way we eat?
Have you ever walked by a wall, caught some plaster medallion out of the corner of your eye, stood back - and marveled at the overall design of the structure?
Part of what Forgotten-Roanoke is all about is a big thank-you to those who built this town. It's an appreciation for the craftsman, the artisans, the folks who bled, sweat, and bled some more to get this town done. It's looking at what they created, and why. And each brick laid in this town has meaning, has a story.
Plus, heres the real deal about blue collar work. Sure its tough, and sure it keeps you running - but all the really high tech developments are coming home, and they are going to need people to install them. Make them work properly. Run the wires behind walls and all that. as more high-tech comes home, the more we need qualified people to install it. Even the materials themselves are changing - look at the C2C program.
Ask yourselves this: Do you want to be held hostage by a plumber? You will be, if your kids do not understand the value of having a trade. The fewer plumbers, carpinters, bricklayers we have- the more they can charge. You want your kid to make money? Forget being a doctor - too restrictive. The malpractice insurance alone could crush any profit. A lawyer? Well, there is an arguement to be made for that - but thats all it is. Arguing. Computers and all the rest - well, half my class went into the computer field - and last I heard, half of that half had to go back to school to learn a entirely new trade. The market is flooded with computer programmers and such.
Parents, tell your kids - Blue Collar ain't so bad. It provides a good life, a stable life. And theres a sense of personal satisfaction you will not get anywhere else. Besides - your kid could be the next Lee Iacocca. There are no limits to what you can do with your hands and your brain.
2 comments:
You make a convincing arguement for those who are not inclined towards white collars. But what about people like me, who live in our heads and know more about the structure of the Chinese government than how to fix our router. My point-don't forget not everyone is good at being handy, useful in the practical way-some of us are creative but in a less physical way. if that makes sense.
You still need to get out and bang some rock once in a while. Be as white collar as you want, but don't be ignorant. Learn to do your own simple repairs around the house, or you will be camptive to any "handyman" that you have to call because your faucet is dripping, your lights wont work in the 2nd bedroom, or any minor thing. Im not suggesting you learn to strip roofing or be certified in asbestos removal, but spending a day in brutal hard labor gives you an appreciation for everything else in life.
And as for fixing your router.. hell. Cheaper to buy a new one!
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