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I sold and delivered beer from a side-load truck for 30 years. A stack of beer weighed up to twice what I did. That was a physically brutal job, and although I hung up my hand-truck at age 50, I still pay a price for that career choice via osteoarthritis that won’t ever go away.
Next up was 20 years of preparing tax returns. Physically simple compared to my first occupation, though stressfully intense during the 3 month busy season. Working morning, noon, and night 6 days a week, with some Sundays thrown in to keep caught up.
There must have been an easier way to get paid….
Duh Dan….. I could have been a personal finance writer, doing one stinkin’ article per week! How hard could that have been?
Then I became rather involved with HumbleDollar. How do guys like Clements and Grossman come up with interesting topics week after week? I struggle to think of something that I hope will be found worthwhile once a month.
I’ve stooped so low as to submit an article about the circuitous route my vinyl record order took from the online retailer to my front door.
The serious content on HD has enabled me to make some worthwhile tweaks to my investing, and helped me to streamline/simplify and organize for the benefit of my heirs.
So I tip my hat to Jonathan, Adam, and all of the creative HD contributors that keep me coming back for more.
As I used to end tax newsletters to my clients,
Many happy returns,
Dan
Dan, I understand where you’re coming from and that’s why I don’t write articles. But usually you have interesting articles with a touch of humor. Your comments to others depict the bright side of their topic.
Despite your discouragement searching for a topic you want to share, you must keep moving onward and upward.
Dan, thanks for a great little read. I really enjoyed your article about the vinyl record’s adventure.
I always think that if someone else’s job look easy from the outside, it probably isn’t.
Dan – thanks for this, and I feel the same way. I created several articles and forum pieces, when I first found Humble Dollar. Now I feel like I cannot think of any new topics. The wide and varied writings of our HD friends are very entertaining and educational.
I’m sure your quest for the perfect bike could be turned into a good article.
My philosophy was simple: I assumed and took for granted that every single person who worked for me was at least as smart as myself, if not more so. With the proper training and education, they could run my business just as well as I could. My stance only changed if an individual provided a reason to think otherwise.
That’s a great philosophy, Mark. Avoiding the self-inflicted wounds common to many workers is important to succeeding and advancing on the job.
Dan Smith
I respect those who perform hard work, and I am happy for those who find ways to remain in the work force as they age and their work becomes too demanding. There aren’t that many openings for supervisors or managers, but many succeed in finding something suitable in another field for which they can get the necessary training, like yourself.
Nice post Dan. I always admired the skilled physical workers in my company.
Not only physically demanding, but dangerous jobs as well in many cases. We ended up giving a disability pension to nearly a third of those retiring meaning they got the full accrued pension at any age.
You wouldn’t find me working in a gas main underground or repairing high tension line after a hurricane. My most admired was the guy hanging out of a helicopter hovering over transmission lines working barehanded.
sometimes the unions let me know how lucky I was working in the “ivory tower” as they called corporate headquarters – and they were right.
I hear you, Dick. Like many others, I did various types of labor as a high school and college student, and from that experience learned the value of getting a good education. Only later, did I realize the deeper lesson, which was respect and admiration I have for the men and women who perform physically demanding and sometimes risky work as a career, from which we all benefit. I cringe when I hear or read someone dismissively refer to “burger flippers and ditch diggers” as though its a pejorative.
I believe there is honor, dignity, and potential in all work.
The beer distributor I worked for was owned by the family of a guy that was hired as a driver in the 1940s.
I know restaurateurs who started out as busboys.
Those who don’t aspire to ownership, provide a critical service to the economy and to their families and communities.
Dan Smith
I recall when I first was involved in labor negotiations. The old time management treated the unions like lower class people, intentionally bated them, called them “Joe six pack”. Refused to answer questions or provide reasonably requested information. It disgusted me.
When I got involved in negotiations I changed it and attitudes on both sides changed as we treated each other with respect.
I also learned many so-called blue collar workers were smarted than the managers that flaunted their position.
That door swings both ways, Richard. There are many among the rank and file with similar negative attitudes regarding managers, even when the boss’ act with good intentions.
Rodney King was on to something when he asked “can’t we all just get along”.
Dan Smith