Pardon Me, But Your Slip Is Showing… aka Mike Rowe v. The Press

a reply to: Aazadan

Let me ask you this: of what use is an English major? Women's studies? Liberal arts? These are all very common degrees people are getting now that have no real world application outside of a niche of jobs. The English Major comes in handy if you want to be a teacher, but it's one of the easiest academic degrees to get.

If I see a resume come across my desk of a person with an English major and 2 years experience I pass over for the person with high school or an associates in say MIS with 5-7 years experience.

I personally view the above majors as people who are lazy or had no idea what they wanted to do in life when they started college, but had no problem throwing either their own, their parents or the governments money away on such a degree.

If you want to be a teacher, a doctor or a scientist for example, a degree is required. They are fields tied to higher education.

originally posted by: bluesman462002

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

originally posted by: seasonal
As a skilled trades man, we are treated as knuckle dragging idiots.

Oh, my God! Who treats you like that?

But the computer programmer who makes half of what a master craftsman makes thinks we are somehow beneath them.

Why do you say that? How do you know what they think of you?

Sound like some serious assuming is going on...

I Work in A Middle School and I'M a Janitor.
-- snip --

Sorry it didn't cross my mind to say something sooner. This just slipped past me, somehow.

I couldn't help but think of Bill P., our school janitor and a school bus driver. He was one of the most beloved people at our school. Just remembering him brought back warm memories.

Possibly we should all take the time once in a while to remind ourselves that being "A Success" in Life has a lot to do with how you are keeping score.

There's no way I can verify the story completely because I was never even close to considering a visit to the nursing home after his stroke. I DID know the guy, though, and had heard the boast he was known for, personally.

Until his stroke he had been a very successful local businessman. Former management often talked of how me micro-managed company expenses to the point of being obnoxiously anal. If anyone protested a decision, he would tell them that he ran his company the same way he ran his home. His wife wasn't allowed any credit cards and his checkbook was always either on his person or locked in his office desk.

I've been told that after his stroke (which was incapacitating and nothing to laugh about) he was one of those unfortunate souls who are trapped in a body they can no longer control. As such, his wife made sure that when it wasn't in use for something else, his bed tray was positioned in front of him and held only that checkbook. (I can understand anyone that is skeptical, but he wouldn't have any way of knowing if it contained genuine checks. He couldn't even feed himself!)

More than likely you've touched many lives and will be remembered as a pleasant part of childhood and never get the chance to know. If you've been good to the kids, I'm sure you have. I'd be more inclined to remember that and not worry how the "academics" view your position.

a reply to: raymundoko

I wasn't thinking about those types of degrees. I assume people who care about being employed also care enough to get some sort of skills/qualifications for the jobs they want. If you're trying to be a doctor and you get an English degree you're probably going to have a bad time. If the job you want requires grad school though, then I think there's a place for easy majors because it means you can take something that pads your GPA, isn't overly intensive, and is easy to take alongside the classes you actually do need.

originally posted by: Aazadan
a reply to: raymundoko

I wasn't thinking about those types of degrees. I assume people who care about being employed also care enough to get some sort of skills/qualifications for the jobs they want. If you're trying to be a doctor and you get an English degree you're probably going to have a bad time. If the job you want requires grad school though, then I think there's a place for easy majors because it means you can take something that pads your GPA, isn't overly intensive, and is easy to take alongside the classes you actually do need.

It "clicked" for me yesterday. Like usual, it happened in a tangential way. I'm glad I got the chance to get to know you.

Our oldest son got us watching NASCAR and after the race yesterday there was a show called "Building 43" about Richard Petty's amazing famous 1967 run and the tweaks and additions that were somehow crammed into what looked like a stock Plymouth on the outside.

I'm not good at remembering names... A young (to me) guy that is part of the team mentioned that he'd been to first team member hired with and engineering degree and it is now a requirement.

That's just part of the evolution of the sport. NASCAR is stock car racing in name only at this point. Cars are designed and fabricated from the frame up and I'd be curious to know how many "stock" parts are in one.

By the same token, I sure hope that the employees that aren't part of the hands on team don't feel that they aren't part of the success of the shop. In the documentary the shop is immaculate. Being professionals, I'm sure that they do some of the cleanup at the end of the day. Efficiency means having things where they are supposed to be and ready for the next use. My guess, there is still someone that makes sure that all the lights are ready to go when someone flips the switch in the morning, the restrooms are clean and stocked and various other less applauded chores that none the less contribute to a productive day.

Just wanted to let you know I "got it" before I take a break from ATS. I woke up in the middle of the night and realized this headache has me thinking in spaghetti code again. While my ability to debug my boss's code was part of what made me valuable to him (he genuinely is a very talented programmer but he always had so many irons in the fire that he tended to bore in on a particular problem and knowing how he thought required a lot of tracking) I can't expect everybody to be able to read between the lines of my posts.

I'm going to take some time off and try to ride this out. They can run weeks to months... The old AM radio is always my best description. Once they set in it is like the static on an AM radio. Some days are better than others but to listen to an AM radio you have to get past the static. It is always there, some days are just worse than others.

Sincere best wishes on your current classes.

a reply to: bluesman462002

Please check my post above for a bit more context...

Sorry, but I realized late last night that what I put down in my post came out disjointed. There is a logical thread to what I meant to say, I'm just having trouble focusing because of these d*mned headaches.

It's not my place to be judgemental of the businessman's wife, but when I heard the story for the first time it seemed pretty clear that she was trying to make a point. That checkbook had become the real world "avatar" of his life. It ended depending totally on others and he was likely alone most of the time with only his checkbook for company.

There was a time when I dreamed of becoming an English teacher. A good teacher leaves an impression that lasts a lifetime and the fact that so many came to my brother's funeral meant more to me than gold. I think of some of them often and affectionately. Especially my poor French instructor...

Hopefully the staff at where you work teach because of their love of the work & students and not the paycheck. When you are in the autumn your life, degrees spread out across the bed tray in a nursing home would be depressing company.

Just as I regard every new person I meet a potential friend until they prove otherwise, I look for and try to always acknowledge the worth of who they are what they do. The simple pleasure of seeing the reaction to a sincere smile and, "Thank You" is worth far more than the small effort invested.

I'm taking some time off, but I hope I've left you a little less confused about my point.

Before I go, I'd like to mention a remark made by a fellow Hoosier that made a lasting impression:
"I love everybody, even my enemies. After all... I made 'em!" - Red Skelton