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Bygone days
Off the Wall
Sept. 2, 2010
With the nearing Labor Day, there should be one thing and one
thing only that crosses people's mind just what this holiday
is all about. Unfortunately, people's thinking process has changed.
What the general public, at least in my opinion, will be concentrating
on is the start up of schools in the area which has gotten underway
already, the cooling of temperatures, or the beginning of the
football season.
Nobody wants to hear, for instance, that I worked hard doing
various jobs and being employed at various locations for the
last 50 years until I was forced into retirement. It kind of
falls on dead ears. Oh, yeah, people may ask, "What did
you do," but after hearing that, the scheme of questioning
is lost in the wind, and a new question arises.
There were men and women with whom I worked that showed me that
they knew their trade. When I visited the malls or hardware stores
and saw laborers with dirty clothing usually with oil splattered
all over their shirt and pants, I knew the apparel had not been
purchased that way, but it was a sign of intensified labor, probably
underneath cars in a body shop. In any case they were mechanics
in all probability.
I've heard it many times "People back in the olden
days worked, and they worked hard. Today they have a changed
attitude and don't want to put forth to put bread on the table."
There is some truth to that.
Generally speaking, for example, farming has always and will
always be an occupation of laborious requirements. I don't think
the general public has any idea what the farmer goes through
to make sure people in our country, generally speaking, have
enough food for their table. Outside of the fact that some produce
comes from other countries, there still is hard labor that goes
into making sure that it is FDA-approved and stands ready for
our shelves at the markets.
I think there is something to be said to thinking back to those
bygone days when workers slaved on the railroads so the tracks
could be installed for railways' connections.
If we were all close our eyes and imagine, just for a few moments,
a profession which comes to mind between the 20's and the 40's,
for example, we each may have example. And with those, we could
visualize workers hard at work.
Now, I'm not saying that men don't work hard today. All one has
to do is go to steel mills in the area, tool and die and machine
shops, and you would find hard-working area residents. And as
much as I hear some folks putting them down, teachers are doing
an excellent job preparing children and young adults for what
ahead in their future.
And to fall in line with that, youth who want to learn and benefit
from what they are taught are responding by keeping their noses
between the pages despite the many distractions with which they
may be faced throughout the upcoming months.
And, not to take away from the many different occupations whereby
men and women are working hard, there are behind the scenes'
opportunities that youth and adults alike may take advantage.
Through use of the Internet, children are home-schooled and adults
may get their masters by going on line to achieve their goals.
But yet, our employment rate in this country is down averaging
close to nine percent. I'm sure there will be people who won't
celebrate this day as they should, for their eyes will be directed
toward finding employment.
What is still questionable in my mind is "Why are there
so many want-ads that seem to fill the classified sections in
newspapers?" If I was still able to work eight-ten hour
days, and needed to put bread on my table, I think I would file
an application for one of these positions, especially for the
ones where it specified, "No experience necessary."
I don't get it. If people are really capable of working, why
not step forth and tell the employer you are a hard worker and
want to set an example such as the men in bygone days. "They
worked hard and so will I". What employer wouldn't want
to hear those words?
On the other hand, I have talked to many, who has assured me
that their life is content, and they are getting everything they
want and need. As one guy put it, "Why should I work. The
government gives me everything I need."
I have no answer to that. I always felt great when I was able
to give of myself, work hard, and know at the end of the day,
I did what God called me to do "labor for eight hours."
Paul J. Volkmann
Written: August 23, 2010
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