The youth and their shoddy work ethic....

I started working part time in high school- work study program. In the handbag factory I mentioned. $2 an hour. I think I had over 30 jobs before I started my own business. I saw a guy quit a factory job once, he punched out on the clock like thirty times and left the card in the time clock
I did that once myself at The Endicott-Johnson shoe factory, that was a four hour gig. I quit because nobody was around to give me more sole blanks to punch out.
I've been on the street with $3.50 in my pocket deciding to get a sandwich or a six-pack. I've lived in ghetto skid row, lived on millionaire's estates. I've worked renovation in the most despicable ghettos where human beings live worse than animals, and seen the most opulent and magnificent homes. A high school buddy's family took me in right after high school and got me a job at a steel yard in Jersey City, NJ. Catholic people were always the ones that showed me charity, that's why I love The Catholic Faith even though I'm not Catholic. I was on my own at 19.
I was hitchhiking up Front Street in Binghamton one day, penniless again, praying to Jesus for a job. A guy picked me up and got me a job at Dunkin Donuts. Graveyard shift, 12 hrs, $90 a week. I left after a week and a really decent Polish guy took me in doing home repairs. And on and on.
I have heard that most people are more afraid of success than of failure.
I've had times so desperate I didn't think I could survive. I think I've blown more opportunities than most guys get. I'm still trying to learn how to interact with customers. I'm too proud for my own good sometimes. I've walked out of millionaire's mansions in a huff. This latest customer is a good lesson. I've worked hard to keep her happy and convince her I have her best interests in mind. She had a litter of kittens bitching about a ratty old bush I trimmed back so I could get to the side of the house. I almost quit so I could feel my pride. Instead I kissed her ass from here to Tuesday and let it roll off my back. It's her property and her choice. I'm battling another jungle on the other side of the house. The customer is always right.
I worked on a production painting crew in Florida 1980. A lot of southern good ole boys there. My Georgia boss would say about a lazy worker: " That boy thinks the world owes him a livin'!"
The cantankerous and inept Irish national caretaker that worked at the rich peoiple's house, who I put up with for 7 years, had an Irish saying: "If ya don't like the chair you're sittin' in, then get up out of it!"

Looking back, I'm grateful I was put through the crucible in a way; the joy of labor is something the lazy don't know about.

I'm a small jobs handyman, I lose my job twice a week sometimes. I'm confident I can always find work if I put my mind to it and pray for it.

I think you also have a good book struggling to come out. Your experience is something that could not be bought, but more importantly what you have learned from it. Like Pope John 23rd. You have been brought up in blessed poverty.

Rock on Dann.
Self-employed as well, been there done that.

If you want to see lack of work ethic, both young and old, tour a union shop!

I'd invite you to the one I worked in for 10 years but you'd have to travel to Mexico to see what's left of it.

jpete wrote:If you want to see lack of work ethic, both young and old, tour a union shop!

I'd invite you to the one I worked in for 10 years but you'd have to travel to Mexico to see what's left of it.

Heheh! Nice one Pete.

It may be in abundance in this generation, but dont think for a damn second its only this generation that has laziness. My wife has friends on our social media site she went to school with and let me tell yeah I can tell when the damn checks come out. I dont mean unemployment because you first must of had a job once to get that. Burns the chaps.

Dann757 wrote:I started working part time in high school- work study program. In the handbag factory I mentioned. $2 an hour. I think I had over 30 jobs before I started my own business. I saw a guy quit a factory job once, he punched out on the clock like thirty times and left the card in the time clock
I did that once myself at The Endicott-Johnson shoe factory, that was a four hour gig. I quit because nobody was around to give me more sole blanks to punch out.
I've been on the street with $3.50 in my pocket deciding to get a sandwich or a six-pack. I've lived in ghetto skid row, lived on millionaire's estates. I've worked renovation in the most despicable ghettos where human beings live worse than animals, and seen the most opulent and magnificent homes. A high school buddy's family took me in right after high school and got me a job at a steel yard in Jersey City, NJ. Catholic people were always the ones that showed me charity, that's why I love The Catholic Faith even though I'm not Catholic. I was on my own at 19.
I was hitchhiking up Front Street in Binghamton one day, penniless again, praying to Jesus for a job. A guy picked me up and got me a job at Dunkin Donuts. Graveyard shift, 12 hrs, $90 a week. I left after a week and a really decent Polish guy took me in doing home repairs. And on and on.
I have heard that most people are more afraid of success than of failure.
I've had times so desperate I didn't think I could survive. I think I've blown more opportunities than most guys get. I'm still trying to learn how to interact with customers. I'm too proud for my own good sometimes. I've walked out of millionaire's mansions in a huff. This latest customer is a good lesson. I've worked hard to keep her happy and convince her I have her best interests in mind. She had a litter of kittens bitching about a ratty old bush I trimmed back so I could get to the side of the house. I almost quit so I could feel my pride. Instead I kissed her ass from here to Tuesday and let it roll off my back. It's her property and her choice. I'm battling another jungle on the other side of the house. The customer is always right.
I worked on a production painting crew in Florida 1980. A lot of southern good ole boys there. My Georgia boss would say about a lazy worker: " That boy thinks the world owes him a livin'!"
The cantankerous and inept Irish national caretaker that worked at the rich peoiple's house, who I put up with for 7 years, had an Irish saying: "If ya don't like the chair you're sittin' in, then get up out of it!"

Looking back, I'm grateful I was put through the crucible in a way; the joy of labor is something the lazy don't know about.

I'm a small jobs handyman, I lose my job twice a week sometimes. I'm confident I can always find work if I put my mind to it and pray for it.

The kid that I work with calls me a bitch because I worry about things. I worry about the paperwork. I don't like idling the truck because the office sees it. I don't like leaving early. I try to do things correctly or to my best. But this kid is the complete opposite. There are days where I take a day off, and the following day I come in to find out that he didn't feel like doing the two jobs I scheduled. So, he rescheduled them and picked a different job to do. One that takes him an hour and then he tells me, 'Yeah, I did one job and was home by 10.', I get annoyed because I had two 4 hour jobs scheduled and he turns around, does one job then punches out early. I always ask, 'Did[redacted] know you went home that early?' and I get, 'No man, he's an idiot. I just left.'

I worry about waking up in the morning and not having a job, not being able to pay for things and support my family and this punk just doesn't care. Last summer he was suspended twice, told his head was on the chopping block and that he needed to straighten up. For the most part, he's been good this summer but then he pulls this. I don't understand it. I know I'm going to be called into the office with him this week. He'll get written up or threatened and I'll get the, 'You need to be his mentor.' line like I got last summer. But there is only so much I can do. I just hope he doesn't pull me down with him.

I'm On Fire wrote:

Dann757 wrote:I . But there is only so much I can do. I just hope he doesn't pull me down with him.

Why would he?

Teach a man to fish...nuff said.

I should add that in my previous comment I was thinking of the Pittsburgh area (which used to be known for good hard workers), I know the steel mill if wanting to hire 20 would have to drug test over 300 before they got them & then once shown the work & conditions about half would turn it down. Here in mostly farm country it's almost the complete opposite so it may have a lot to do with area as well.

I'm On Fire,
We all think you're a great guy, you have shared a lot of your life with us. I think it creates a bond, even if it's a cyber-commaraderie. You got through the whole septic tank nightmare; I guess there's always something coming down the pike for all of us. I went through a bad situation last year with a local guy who thought he could mistreat me all he wanted. He's a local bigwig, older guy, towny, tough guy. He introduced me to a customer a couple years ago. Long story short, he *censored* up the drainage on the guy's residential landscaping job; and since he's friends with the customer; they wanted me to put a sump pump in the corner of the garage. The guy actually said to me more than once, "It's YOUR Job!". The first time he pissed me off was when I had already bought materials for my design; and told me to do it some other way! I just put my tail between my legs and did it his way; but I did charge the customer for the wasted pvc, etc.
Point is, the guy kept bullying me until one day I blew up and was so mad I was ready to fight him right on the customers driveway. He deserved it. Now when I see him he respects me, I even fixed his 57 T-Bird blower motor for him. But I keep my distance.
Some people always see my good nature as weakness, I still struggle with that.
Someone told me this prayer, "God goes before me to make the crooked places straight." I'm not that religious, but it can't hurt to say that a few times to yourself.
I realize you have much more responsibilities than I do, I don't have a big nut to crack. I know you're caught between a rock and a hard place. I'm going to talk to my friend who has a good business sense. It seems to me you are responsible but your supervisor who expects you to babysit a bad employee is not much of a problem solver.
You will get through this, man.

That one's right up there with the serenity prayer DANN--I wear that one thin quite often

Hate to say this, but who taught all the younger generation this shoddy work ethic ???? Were we just to easy on them? I know i wasnt with my kids, they did pretty good for themselves being brought up the way they were!

I was self employed all my working life, retired at the age of 48 (lucky) but when i had to hire people i just it was better to do it myself. And never hire family!!!

OUTSTANDING post theo

theo wrote:Hate to say this, but who taught all the younger generation this shoddy work ethic ???? Were we just to easy on them? I know i wasnt with my kids, they did pretty good for themselves being brought up the way they were!

i have 2 boys and 1 girl, they all have jobs and i could not be more pleased with how they turned out. And yes i admit MOM and DAD made them lazy at times