Growing up my dad worked for one company ( with the exception of a few years that didn't work out that way). It wasn't a standard schedule like your 8-5 workday, but it was consistant. He worked for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad in Gallup, New Mexico and then in Phoenix, Arizona. He would get random phone calls and it would be the railroad operator lady on the other end that would say "Call for LA Slade..." and then depending on how old we were we could say "go ahead" and take down the information for his next job or we would go find somone old enough to take it down. I remember him working odd hours...sometimes we'd see him Christmas morning before he'd have to go and he'd be tying on his workboots while he watched our reactions to our Christmas presents. He drove a little truck/car for his entire RR career...even in Phoenix he drove a truck that had no A/C. He never complained....I think he would've rather been working on his ranch in Colorado milking cows and taking care of water wells, but he worked every day and didn't complain - although he didn't love it. It provided for us in a way that I didn't realize until I entered adulthood. I never wanted for anything as a kid. I can't think of a time when my parents ever let us know that there was any financial struggle....I'm sure there were those times, and I just didn't know about them.
My point is I grew up with consistencey as far as work goes. We had insurance and I got used to the random schedule that comes with working on the Railroad. I grew up - or so the world tells me- and married someone who has no desire to work for someone else....he thrives on his own and loves to work for himself only. He's brilliant when it comes to learning new trades or retaining valuable information....but with this freedom of working for yourself, comes a set of stresses that you don't get when you are employed by someone else.
In pondering what I would rather between these two, I find myself at an impass. I know my dad disliked what he did, but it provided for our family....I know Travis loves what he does and it's not his fault that the economy took a dive...but it stinks wondering and fretting over business/personal expenses. So, I have no real conclusion, except that now some of my posterity will know what my dad and my husband did for a living.
4 comments:
great commentary on the work they both do. they are different strokes for different folks. Neither is right or wrong just different .
I tried to post a comment on here the night you put it on, but for some reason it wouldn't let me. MAN!! You remember more about Dad's job than I do! I forgot about taking the call and that the operator only said, "Call for LA Slade" ... I do remember a seperate phone line for it, and I was always a little afraid to accept the responsibility of answering it. I'm so thankful for dad doing that, I remember a time when we both worked the night shift and we'd be leaving the house at the same time. and I thought, "Man, I can't believe Dad does this for us ALL THE TIME!" I do see the different fits for different people... unfortuatly the fit doesn't always produce like we'd hope...
I think there are pros and cons to each. You can have a little less risk, or a little more independence. Not everyone can do what they love for a living, or we would have a lot of professional TV watchers out there. This was a very thoughtful post.
P.S. the leprechaun feet were just green paper, cut in foot shape, taped to the floor.
Thanks for this. There were things I didn't remember that you reminisced about. I didn't ever remember wanting for anything either, you can call that youngest child, spoiled, whatever, but I always knew that Dad, and Mom, worked hard to give us all the opportunities they could. We came from good peeps.
I love what u said mom "different strokes for different folks".
Love you and your family sister...
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