OT - NO POLITICS Off Topic Thread: Work sucks, I know

[smithformeragent]

New thread.

People often ask me if I like my job, or how work is going.

It’s a difficult question to answer. I never smile and give a generic answer like “pretty good” or “not bad”.

From now on, I’m going to refer them to this speech by TR, which now hangs in my office.

Accurate.

Click to read more...

 

[LSCII]

New thread.

People often ask me if I like my job, or how work is going.

It’s a difficult question to answer. I never smile and give a generic answer like “pretty good” or “not bad”.

From now on, I’m going to refer them to this speech by TR, which now hangs in my office.

Accurate.

View attachment 800692

Whenever someone tells me they love their job, I always ask if they'd do it for free. I've never had anyone say they would do it for free which means they don't love their job. It means they can tolerate it better than some other even more shitty jobs they've had. There's a reason why they pay you to show up, because nobody would actually go if they didn't.

 

[Kate08]

…she left me roses by the stairs

I have an incredibly cool job. Perhaps a perfect job for me. But it’s still a job.

I have long days full of meetings that could have been emails. An out of control inbox at times. Budgets to write, numbers to analyze, tough decisions to make and communicate. A team to motivate. Difficulty walking away at the end of the day, feeling like I’m always “on”.

Everyone (well, most people) need to work. I’m fortunate to have the job I have, but would I do it for free? Absolutely not. It’s the stuff that happens outside of the 9-5 that really matters.

 

[Terrier]

No. 1 St. John’s Prep makes statement, tops No. 3 Xaverian

In a boys hockey matchup between two of the top teams in the Catholic Conference, No. 1 St. John’s Prep secured a 5-2 road victory over No. 3 Xaverian.

www.bostonherald.com

 

[Fenway]

It is been a tough 24 hours for me

The cottage in Hampton was damaged in the flooding and there is not a lot I can do while sitting in Vegas.

I am being told it could have been a lot worse

 

[Morris Wanchuk]

New thread.

People often ask me if I like my job, or how work is going.

It’s a difficult question to answer. I never smile and give a generic answer like “pretty good” or “not bad”.

From now on, I’m going to refer them to this speech by TR, which now hangs in my office.

Accurate.

View attachment 800692

I view my job as transactional. I work, they pay me. I am happy that with my degree (Civil Engineering) I have probably found the best optimization of hours worked, stress, and pay.

It helped alot when I found the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement. It both made me appreciate my job but also care less about the day to day and realize I have lot more leverage than I thought I did when I accumulated more FU money. Work wants you to live paycheck to paycheck so they can exploit you out of fear. Those who avoid lifestyle inflation can just say no.

 

[smithformeragent]

I view my job as transactional. I work, they pay me. I am happy that with my degree (Civil Engineering) I have probably found the best optimization of hours worked, stress, and pay.

It helped alot when I found the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement. It both made me appreciate my job but also care less about the day to day and realize I have lot more leverage than I thought I did when I accumulated more FU money. Work wants you to live paycheck to paycheck so they can exploit you out of fear. Those who avoid lifestyle inflation can just say no.

Amen to that.

I agree. The amount it BS I deal with for the amount I’m compensated plus the amount of time
I get off is worth it for me.

Great lyric in the Bob Dylan song “Hurricane”

“It’s my work” he’d say, “and I do it for pay
And when it’s all Over I’d just as soon go on my way”

 

[Morris Wanchuk]

Amen to that.

I agree. The amount it BS I deal with for the amount I’m compensated plus the amount of time
I get off is worth it for me.

Great lyric in the Bob Dylan song “Hurricane”

“It’s my work” he’d say, “and I do it for pay
And when it’s all Over I’d just as soon go on my way”

For what I gather from your postings, you are a Catholic school teacher? Have you thought of looking at a Catholic or Episcopal boarding school? Its demanding but you get long vacations, room and board for free. I was a day student at one and the faculty kids did have a very interesting, unique life. The teachers as well, especially if their spouse worked at the school as well.

Schools that come to mind: Canterbury (Catholic), Marianapolis (Catholic), St Marks, Pauls, George, Brooks, Groton, Holderness, Kent (Episcopal)

 

[jgatie]

Whenever someone tells me they love their job, I always ask if they'd do it for free. I've never had anyone say they would do it for free which means they don't love their job. It means they can tolerate it better than some other even more shitty jobs they've had. There's a reason why they pay you to show up, because nobody would actually go if they didn't.

I wouldn't do my specific job for free, but I would (and have) done what I do for free. I was programming for free from the time I was 15 years old, and I'll probably be doing it in one form or another long after I retire.

 

[Ladyfan]

It is been a tough 24 hours for me

The cottage in Hampton was damaged in the flooding and there is not a lot I can do while sitting in Vegas.

I am being told it could have been a lot worse

I wondered if that affected you.

Hopefully it won't take long to set it right.

 

[shelbysdad]

I work because I need the $.
If I had enough $, I would work for free, but change my career to being a full time kayaker and bass fisherman

 

[TD Charlie]

I sort of stumbled into my career off the recommendation of a friend right when I finished college. It was only supposed to be temporary lol. 15 years later and I've moved organizations twice, but the responsibilities (and pay!) have gone up exponentially.

I'm still a VERY firm believer of the "money is a temporary motivator" theory. It's certainly important, cuz I can't do this for free. If I had to switch back to that first company and keep the salary I earn now, I wouldn't do it. I'd be rejecting that in the blink of an eye. Especially with all the changes to remote work once covid ran roughshod over the world, and how it changed schools as well. I'm lucky as hell that I had this exact job at this exact organization during those years, and now as well, just for the flexibility to handle my own work/life balance.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Had a dusting of snow down in my section of the valley this morning, always funny when that happens

 

[sooshii]

I think I’m working one more year.

 

[BMC]

It is been a tough 24 hours for me

The cottage in Hampton was damaged in the flooding and there is not a lot I can do while sitting in Vegas.

I am being told it could have been a lot worse

Are the kitties OK?

 

[Gee Wally]

Fans | Boston Bruins | Boston Bruins

The official National Hockey League website including news, rosters, stats, schedules, teams, and video.

www.nhl.com

 

[Ludwig Fell Down]

It is been a tough 24 hours for me

The cottage in Hampton was damaged in the flooding and there is not a lot I can do while sitting in Vegas.

I am being told it could have been a lot worse

Yikes. Sorry to hear it.

 

[GordonHowe]

New thread.

People often ask me if I like my job, or how work is going.

It’s a difficult question to answer. I never smile and give a generic answer like “pretty good” or “not bad”.

From now on, I’m going to refer them to this speech by TR, which now hangs in my office.

Accurate.

View attachment 800692

Off Topic:

TR is one of my very favorite American presidents, flaws and all.

Nixon was a fan, too,

 

[smithformeragent]

Off Topic:

TR is one of my very favorite American presidents, flaws and all.

Nixon was a fan, too,

View attachment 801006

I find Nixon so interesting.

This was an amazing read:

 

[McGarnagle]

Nixon is probably my favorite to read about and watch, which gets me a lot of weird looks when I tell people that fact.

Just a fascinating character, and smart as a whip.

 

[GordonHowe]

I find Nixon so interesting.

This was an amazing read:
View attachment 801007

Again, OT: I think I mentioned I have not read this one. Farrell was my brother-in-law's college roommate.

But I've read almost everything else. RN (that's how he signed his name) did some very bad things (intervention in Chile, which led to Pinochet; secret bombing of Laos and Cambodia during the Vietnam War; Watergate).

He also did some very good things, for which he receives little or no credit.

He signed Title IX into law, proposed and signed into law the EPA, initiated the Salt I and ABM treaties with the Soviet Union, and established diplomatic relations with China, his greatest achievement.

An admixture of intellectual brilliance and self-destructive insecurity, Nixon was a complicated man.

I have a soft spot for him.

Nixon is probably my favorite to read about and watch, which gets me a lot of weird looks when I tell people that fact.

Just a fascinating character, and smart as a whip.

I am familiar with those looks.

I would very much like to visit the Nixon Center, and his presidential library in Yorba Linda, California.

 

[EvilDead]

I find Nixon so interesting.

This was an amazing read:
View attachment 801007

Speaking of books about presidents, I am going to bury my nose into this book when I get the chance to about Ulysses S. Grant

My friend, who is a big fan of Grant as a person, recommended this and Grant's personal memoirs as the books to read about the man.

 

[smithformeragent]

Speaking of books about presidents, I am going to bury my nose into this book when I get the chance to about Ulysses S. Grant

View attachment 801038

My friend, who is a big fan of Grant as a person, recommended this and Grant's personal memoirs as the books to read about the man.

That’s a great one.

Read it a couple of summers back.

Enjoy and report back.

 

[Alicat]

I love my job and the people I work with. That said, I wouldn't do it for free and if I won a large sum of money, I'd be out of there as soon as they found a replacement at least for the legal side of my job.

 

[GordonHowe]

Speaking of books about presidents, I am going to bury my nose into this book when I get the chance to about Ulysses S. Grant

View attachment 801038

My friend, who is a big fan of Grant as a person, recommended this and Grant's personal memoirs as the books to read about the man.

Ron Chernow, though less than a scintillating stylist, is a an excellent biographer of American history.

Two Pulitzer's -- a first, I believe -- for his biographies of Hamilton and Washington. Both highly recommended in this corner,