Old School

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall."

Confucius

 In the 1975, I had a summer job in a textile warehouse. Along with 5 other average suburban kids, I spent the summer taking inventory. When I came home at Christmas break, I was invited back for a few weeks to work there again. The following summer, after graduating from TSC, the warehouse was able to provide work for me as I searched for a teaching job. Who knew that this part time gig would turn into my life's work for over two decades?

Over the next few years, every summer, I would hire teens looking for summer employment.

Every year, this enterprise grew, eventually hiring dozens and dozens of high school and college students.

They all came from right here in Bergen County , which was nothing if not your typical, middle class suburban community.

If you needed a job, we found work for you.

The place was dirty, hot and wreaked of chemicals and dye stuffs.

Yet, these kids all appreciated the opportunity to work.

I get it that it's 45 years later.

I get that here in Bergen County, that "average" suburban family is more affluent than it was when we grew up.

However, that part time work force just doesn't seem to exist anymore.

I don't know if it's that kids don't want to work, don't need to work or just have more opportunities elsewhere.

I do know that when I woke up the day after school let out, I had no choice but to have a job.

Sleeping in was not an option.

If I ever told my father that I was exploring my options, the only exploration that would be needed would be how to get his foot out of my butt.

Our "choice" was a simple one . Get a job or else.

And no work was beneath any of us.

Food service, warehouse, landscaping, painting, retail, office work even telephone sales.

It didn't matter.

It was work and we took it.

There was no discussion.

A job was a job.

Anything less than 40 hours was wasting time.

This "go get a job attitude" served all of well.

We learned certain set of values.

I don't know, but it seems to me that things are just different today.

My son and I were talking last night. I shared with him a story told by Jon Voight.

At a particularly low point in his life , he found himself alone, laying on the floor.

Frustrated he said out loud "Life is so difficult".

A voice spoke in his ear and said "it's supposed to be".

My son argued "no it's not".

I of course disagreed.

Without difficult, we will never challenge ourselves to be better.

I guess that's what is considered old school.

Shabbat Shalom!