Every day when we get up, there is work to do whether we get paid in dollars or satisfaction. The Grit, a weekly newspaper in the rural United States during much of the twentieth century, ran a series featuring various people talking about their jobs. I was surprised how many found enjoyment and appreciation in jobs others would hate.
But not everybody likes what they do. While I was serving on the local election board, we had a lot of free time for conversation. One of the other four women, a childless, retired, grade school teacher, said she had hated every minute of the many years she spent in her profession. She explained, her husband died young and opportunities for women to work were limited at that time–it was the best way she could support herself. I hope she was able to hide her feelings from her pupils.
Her remark stuck in my memory and made me think about how we choose our jobs. Many times, ways of life run in families such as our members of law enforcement. Farm boys take over from their fathers. The daughters of nurses often become nurses.
Talents usually dictate how people pursue a career. A love of numbers influences some to become accountants. Mechanics and electricians are able to see how things work. People who can draw become artists.
Some of us stumble into occupations by luck. When Ken and I were wed, women were expected to become full-time housewives and mothers. That only worked for me until our three children started school. Then, while reading help wanted ads looking for an office job like I’d had when I was single, I found a career as a freelance journalist working from home. I enjoyed sticking my nose in where it wasn’t always wanted to report on civic meetings, chasing fire trucks and writing features about people and their passions. I joined writers’ groups and attended workshops to learn more about the craft. I’m glad it doesn’t have a retirement age.
How did you choose your job?