Re; Do you, ( or did you ), enjoy your work? My abusive lover- Capitalism

[searcher1605]

I have an extended reply on this topic , so rather than hi-jack the original post I thought it might be more polite to simply start a new thread: a spin off as it were.

Do I enjoy my work ? No. I was taught , like so many of us , that if it were "enjoyable" they wouldn't bother paying you. Nor would you care if they paid you , it's just that pleasurable to perform the task(s) ! This reflects a work ethic, an attitude or belief system of work that was handed down from a father who grew up on the tail end of the Great Depression in rural East Tennessee. Generation after generation of this culture slugged it out in coal mines, the timber industry, and scant farming concerns only to have their labors reap next to no reward and provide only the most meager means for survival. "You work to survive, not for pleasure" was the unspoken ethic, and ALWAYS go the extra mile even if you get nothing in return because in this way you get to keep your job... the one that dominates your every waking hour and allows you simply to eat in order that you may return to work more the following day.
But the culture I grew up in ( my parents laid down their roots in a heavily populated metropolitan city of several million in the Midwest ) promotes the prevalent "me" culture - " I HAVE to be happy ", " I HAVE to have meaning ", " I can't accept a life of drudgery and toil unless I find it fulfilling ". Yes, there was an internal conflict for me. Do I accept my father's idea of what work should be ? Or chase my dreams, potentially at the cost of sacrificing a comfortable lifestyle for my children ?

Without digressing too much , suffice to say I chose to ( attempt ) to be a provider and abandoned my idea of an ideal and rewarding career for myself. Yes , I stepped into the dreaded world of "the trades". Those skilled occupations that were once the backbone of American know-how and "can do" values. Now I am not, by nature, technically minded and tend more toward the artistic qualities that remain on the fringe of our ( or most ) societies in the Western world. It seemed wise therefore that I invest myself in a skill that could incorporate practical knowledge and artistic values in order to satisfy my need to CREATE and the world's need for functional, tangible commodity. I became a Woodworker !!! I can build everything form a beautiful decorative mahogany bar fit for the Ritz, an heirloom Maple and Cherry hutch with joinery capable of surviving generations of use, Walnut entry doors that have been installed in multi-million dollar homes, all the way to simple cabinets, tables, and bathroom vanities. I have built a conference table of Ebony and Brazilian Rosewood with Wenge inlay (that sits as I write this diatribe in the Pentagon, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense).
All of this work I created under the employ of others , as a hired , skilled craftsman. I am not one to start my own business for I have no capacity for business and the headaches that accompany it.

After 15 years of pursuing my "passion", I am now unemployed. The most recent employment situation (from which I fled), was a dirty,dimly lit factory producing casework and cabinetry , all from particle board and plastic laminate for national hotel chains and restaurants. The modern economy ( i.e. Ikea and Walmart ) has dictated that we as a population cannot afford quality craftsmanship. The modern methods of work in my trade rely on Computer Numerically Controlled automation and only a semi skilled workforce capable only of parts assembly and nothing more. The worst aspect for my personality type is the demeaning nature in which those of us with true skill are treated. Essentially as slave labor. There is no value in my knowledge or experience when the company's owner, the shop manager, and the foreman know NOTHING of what it takes to produce even the simplest , cheapest version of the product. My "superiors" could not even build a bird house if their lives depended on it. We are simply seen as monkeys with nail-guns in our hands and every job is a rush. " You will arrive on time, stay chained to your work bench, and eat only when that buzzer goes off --- and careful how much time you spend in the bathroom because we are watching you ". There is no recognition of skill or craftsmanship , it is impossible for these American factories to support that value since they are now competing ( and losing ) to 12 year old workers in Chinese factories producing the cheapest, most poorly built furniture and casework the world has ever known ... and ( the factories, not the 12 year olds )are making billions doing it !

This is not what I signed up for. At 43 years old, I find myself desperately hopping from shop to shop , in search of a livable work situation only to find it does not exist and that I have all but exhausted all the options in my city. I have literally worked in at least 20 different settings since the market went down the toilet in 2007-08.
I am a tree hugging , dirt worshiping , hippy, commie liberal and I see no good end to the system we have created. Is our standard of living better ? Do our children have a shot at a better life than we did ? Is the world really better off with all the technology we could ever want
( while this technology gives us nothing we NEED ) ??? I'm baffled and disenchanted by the whole of this system, this country, this culture , and this world.

I find myself now weighing those values of my father and struggling with feelings of inferiority and guilt. My path has led to a dead end and now I must and will reinvent myself , professionally speaking. I may go back to school at some point and perhaps study English Literature in some small , historically rich liberal arts college and pursue a writing career. Or I'll sign up for art school ... but wait - I have to feed my kids ! Oh well, I suppose I'll take another low wage , health threatening, factory job and forego the dreams. That's the reality and that appears to be the consequences of my past choices. But I'm not happy about it.

As you see, I have a lot to say on this topic. So much that it's obviously difficult to 'nutshell' my thoughts. Basically, no , I don't like my work.

[Yossarian]

That's unfortunate. I like my job OK. It is intellectually challenging. I work with smart decent people. I wouldn't do it for free but there are days when it's fulfilling and it generally allows me to live a reasonable life.

Why not work for yourself? I think there are plenty of trades where a hardworking person can do fine.

[profnot]

I'm with you except I have a job I love. Doesn't pay as much as it used to so thank goodness I have always been frugal. Still renting, though.

If you want to get really angry about our economy, read "The Creature from Jekyll Island."

[catherine]

I love your post, and all the questions it prompts. I love hearing your story. How your fulfilling living--creating things of true craftsmanship--has devolved into a dummied-down automated assembly-line experience--it's a travesty. So I'm going to think about it and reply later, but your comments spoke to many things about our own value system and that of our society's.

I am a market researcher in the pharmaceutical industry. I make very good money doing it, and my skill set actually is a good match for this profession. However, I feel two-faced, because I feel that the "real me" is more the "tree-hugging, dirt-worshipping, hippie, commie liberal" than the me who spends 40+ hours a week helping Big Pharma get people into wanting the expensive drugs they are providing rather than the expensive drugs from their competitor or rather than no drugs at all. But I basically like my job. I feel lucky.

Interestingly, this topic popped up last weekend, when I was visiting my kids up in VT. My third son never went to college, was an actor and is now a musician and is totally bought into "do what you love" and he harbors some disdain for people who work dull jobs. So he asked me at dinner, "So, mom, what do you get out of your job? How does it fulfill you creatively?" And I said, "Oh, I just do it for the money." And he looked a little surprised, and so did my other son's GF, and he said, "No, really, you must get something out of it." And I said, "Nah, I do it for the money."

I felt a little shallow, and hoped I didn't disappoint him, but it was/is true. The next day I walked in on a conversation DS was having with his GF and they said, "Oh, we were just talking about you.. " and the GF continued: "I was so happy to hear you say you work for the money, because that's what I do. I work so that I can fund the other things in my life that mean a lot to me." I think she feels that others judge her decision to NOT become a teacher, which is what she got her degree in. She is in web programming now.

I think as a culture we are going off the deep end in our pursuit of profit and speed. At the same time, when it comes to your question, for me it boils down to, do I have the right balance in my life of "bread labor" vs time for family and community and other pursuits. We all have to work for our daily bread, and someone has to do the mundane stuff, and I don't mind doing it as long as it doesn't consume me or who I am.

I guess I talked myself into a response.

[Davidwd]

Skilled cabinet makers are extremely rare this side of the pond and you have to pay an extremely high price to get that kind of work done. I know you said that self employment would not suit you but maybe give it a second thought. Since I became self employed I have never looked back. I work when I want to work, I take time off when I want, I am at home when the kids come home from school. You could start by building and selling bookcases etc and then possibly bespoke bedroom, office, kitchen etc who knows where it could take you!

I too have feelings of guilt when I take time off or when I am not working as many hours as the next guy, because it was drummed into me you have to work until you drop otherwise you are lazy. That is why the simple living way has been difficult for me to get my head around but my health is improving because of it.

[catherine]

I agree with Davidwd:

Can you set up shop? Maybe you would need a side job in the beginning, but that would be great. There ARE people who value true craftsmanship. (EDITED TO SAY: Just noticed that you don't want to go into business for yourself.. Got it.)

Here's a job opportunity on the YesterMorrow site. YesterMorrow is a wonderful company that teaches crafts and sustainable design. It's in VT, but as it turns out, this timber framer job opportunity is in Tennessee. Not exactly cabinetry, but if you're currently unemployed, this would be a GREAT company to get an in with.

https://yestermorrow.org/resources/job-opportunities-2/

[Yossarian]

(EDITED TO SAY: Just noticed that you don't want to go into business for yourself.. Got it.)

I still think it is worth asking more about why. There may be ways to deal with some of the perceived downside.

[pinkytoe]

I think as a culture we are going off the deep end in our pursuit of profit and speed.
I was born and educated as an artist but there is no value in that anymore except in very special circumstances. It would be one in a few thousand and probably less that could actually pay their bills doing art. So I followed a different path to earn money but it clearly does not satisfy my soul. Seems like our whole class and education system is changing to worship specific areas of endeavor-science, technology, finance etc.
I would imagine that it would be very difficult but not impossible to find a shop that does quality work for high dollar projects - maybe not where you live presently. In my city, the newly arrived wealthy are filling their homes with very custom wood cabinets, doors, gates, millwork etc so perhaps there are shops who collaborate with high end builders in cities that are thriving like mine?

[searcher1605]

Why not work for yourself? I think there are plenty of trades where a hardworking person can do fine.

Yes , a lot of people think that. It's not so easy , especially considering the amount of capitol needed to start up. Not to mention the insurance, taxes, municipal codes regarding fire prevention, dust collection, etc.
It is all well and good to say " I think there are plenty of trades where a hardworking person can do fine." but there is competition, not to mention the high price one pays with their body in such a physical occupation ... bad backs and blown out knees are commonplace. There is a small window where one can realistically give their blood, sweat, and tears to any Trade and by the time one hits 40, all the normal aches and pains for most are magnified due to the continual stress on one's body for 15-20 years of manual labor. No, the days of Yestermorrow and the Wood Whisperer are gone forever. Not intending to offend, but you "lay people" are clueless as to what is involved to make even the simplest cabinet installation work.
This video gives an excellent snap shot of the process ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9hIXiM-yrY

[Yossarian]

Reminds me of something someone else wrote...


Not long since, a strolling Indian went to sell baskets at the house of a well-known lawyer in my neighborhood. "Do you wish to buy any baskets?" he asked. "No, we do not want any," was the reply. "What!" exclaimed the Indian as he went out the gate, "do you mean to starve us?" Having seen his industrious white neighbors so well off — that the lawyer had only to weave arguments, and, by some magic, wealth and standing followed — he had said to himself: I will go into business; I will weave baskets; it is a thing which I can do. Thinking that when he had made the baskets he would have done his part, and then it would be the white man's to buy them. He had not discovered that it was necessary for him to make it worth the other's while to buy them, or at least make him think that it was so, or to make something else which it would be worth his while to buy. I too had woven a kind of basket of a delicate texture, but I had not made it worth any one's while to buy them. Yet not the less, in my case, did I think it worth my while to weave them, and instead of studying how to make it worth men's while to buy my baskets, I studied rather how to avoid the necessity of selling them.

[Yossarian]

Not intending to offend, but you "lay people" are clueless as to what is involved to make even the simplest cabinet installation work.


Not offended at all. But having done a fair amount of home rennovation I can say that there are plenty of idiots in the business. And yes you would have to compete with them to start. But there is a HUGE demand, at least where I live, for competent tradesman that show up on time, know what they are doing, and don't try to rip you off. The good ones are totally sold out. They get more word of mouth business than they can do.

[citrine]

I loved your post and I also think you should revisit going into business for yourself. I used to work for money, now I work in my own business and it is not as hard as I thought it would be. All you need is a product, a passion, a good accountant, and the rest will follow :)

[searcher1605]

Wow that IS offensive. So, let's blame the poor for not knowing how to get rich ? Let's make fun of the little kid playing Rugby with the big grownups when the child doesn't even know the rules ? Who wrote that little anecdote, Rush Limbaugh ? Not to mention the racial overtones suggested ; " Those silly redskins, they can't even calculate depreciation on non tertiary overseas investments , hmmmf hmmmf hmmmf . Say, Luvvy, let's go to the yacht club! "

I appreciate other's suggestions, but the point of all of this is that the question was asked - Do you like your work ? I gave an admittedly long winded response , but the other topics that emerge with this question bear discussion ; my personal choices not withstanding, how can humanity be best served by continuing the widening gap between rich and poor ? This is a man made system people, and if we want to change it we can. But let's just take our depression meds and watch American Idol first. Is our purpose to only "get mine" and F the rest ? The namesake of this forum IS Simple living ... that , to me , implies a rejection of current norms and standards of living which are not simple, not beneficial, and not healthy. If one person can prove that capitalism in it's current state ( Greed run rampant ) is beneficial to working class people, and humanity at large, I'll concede. But that would have to be a very convincing argument , since the almighty dollar dictates all that are or will be and is the primary source for hunger, poverty, environmental degradation, and injustice. Hell, we will always be dealing with the fallout of USA's middle east aggression for oil.
Maybe I came to the wrong forum huh ?

[catherine]

A few things:

a) That video.. First, I found the characterization of the client to be believable, unfortunately; however, if that's a stereotype that you want to hang your hat on, you are right in not going into business. I am self-employed and have clients I love and clients that drive me crazy, and you take the good with the bad. While I agree that a lot of people might try to hire a carpenter expecting custom work at IKEA prices (all of a sudden one of my favorite movie scenes popped into my head: Overboard, when Goldie Hawn railed on Kurt Russell and refused to pay him because he made the beautiful shoe closet out of cedar instead of oak) maybe you could brainstorm on how to target the "good customers." (Move to where Yossarian lives, for instance.)

b) Yossarian: I really liked that story--what is the source? (I did not see it as offensive)

c) Yossarian's story reminded me of one of my very favorite books (which is available as a movie with Jane Fonda, and I highly recommend it): The Dollmaker. I was going to describe the analogy between searcher's question and Jane Fonda's whittling, but, searcher, watch the movie. The last scene is just breathtaking. And it might make you feel better and even help you think through your key questions.

Here it is, for free:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=021jNReJXDQ


PS: You did not come to the wrong forum. I, personally agree with you on many levels, but there are shades of grey in simple living, as in everything else. And everyone here has a different backstory and different motivations for their simple lives.

[searcher1605]

Ok I'm going to go ahead and apologize right now. I'm flustered and frankly, scared. I'm not sure what I'm going to do to provide at this point.
Sorry for getting all high n mighty. Sincerely.

[catherine]

Ok I'm going to go ahead and apologize right now. I'm flustered and frankly, scared. I'm not sure what I'm going to do to provide at this point.
Sorry for getting all high n mighty. Sincerely.

I totally understand your feelings. You're unemployed and have a family. I've BTDT. Yes, it's scary. At this point, you do what you have to do. Try to quiet your feelings and listen for what comes next. Something will.

All the best.

[Alan]

The namesake of this forum IS Simple living ... that , to me , implies a rejection of current norms and standards of living which are not simple, not beneficial, and not healthy. If one person can prove that capitalism in it's current state ( Greed run rampant ) is beneficial to working class people, and humanity at large, I'll concede. But that would have to be a very convincing argument , since the almighty dollar dictates all that are or will be and is the primary source for hunger, poverty, environmental degradation, and injustice.
Well, my conception of the wonders of capitalism would place many advances above composting, organic farming, or even urban chicken coops, all things the typical simple living proponent values. Let's make a list of things capitalism has given us:



Higher incomes that allow people to make livings that afford them more than merely survival or avoiding starvation.
A low poverty rate.
High quality and diversity of employment opportunities. Rather than the choice of being a farmer or being a blacksmith, the average citizen should have an array of careers to choose from, and the ability to be industrious and take risks for profit.
The availability of housing. On an average night in the United States, a country with a population of somewhere around 350 million, fewer than one million are homeless.
Consistent GDP growth.
Access to quality health care.
The availability of quality education. (I suppose we could quibble over the word "quality," but certainly there is widespread free educational availability.)
High life expectancy. Worldwide life expectancy has more than doubled from the pre-industrial revolution era to today
Low frequency of deadly disease.
Affordable goods and services.
Infrastructure that bolsters economic growth.
Political stability.
Air conditioning.
Freedom from slavery, torture and discrimination.
Freedom of movement, religion and thought.
The presumption of innocence under the law.
Equality under the law regardless of gender or race.
The right to have a family – as large as one can support. Maybe even larger.
The right to enjoy the fruits of labor without government – or anyone else stealing it.


I realize many people may think the system doesn't work well for them, and perhaps they're right, but I think that for the majority, it does.

[ApatheticNoMore]

No I don't like my work and I never have (except when I worked part time in a pizza place!). It's work in an office (dark satanic cubicles). It's not exposure to toxic chemicals, it's not working in a coal mine (dangerous and toxic for sure), it doesn't get the level of abuse from employers etc. that low paid service work often DOES, I'm not working poor, I can pay my bills and contribute to my 401k and buy some fun things. But it's often boring and often pointless. It takes too much time. I have very little control over anything even though much of the process doesn't make the most basic sense from a what would be good for the employer persepective (ie stuff never gets automated and fixed though it should etc.). It's all beuracracy (small companies are probably the only ones that escape this senseless beuracracy problem). My father was depression era as well (had kids late in life).


Maybe I came to the wrong forum huh ?

people come here for a lot of different reasons.

[catherine]

I love Alan, and totally respect his views, but I just see things a little differently:


Higher incomes that allow people to make livings that afford them more than merely survival or avoiding starvation. Caplitalism in its present state in this day and age has such drastic inequalities that many are actually less secure, and the government goes to the highest bidder
A low poverty rate. 1 out of 5 children in the US lives in poverty
High quality and diversity of employment opportunities. Rather than the choice of being a farmer or being a blacksmith, the average citizen should have an array of careers to choose from, and the ability to be industrious and take risks for profit. Searcher has described how that "choice" for him has been compromised because of the hierarchy of greed over need
The availability of housing. On an average night in the United States, a country with a population of somewhere around 350 million, fewer than one million are homeless. True
Consistent GDP growth. Growth measured by GDP is an outmoded value, because it is unsustainable
Access to quality health care. If you can afford it--and the way the healthcare system works in the US guarantees its dysfunction
The availability of quality education. (I suppose we could quibble over the word "quality," but certainly there is widespread free educational availability.) That's true for the most part, but the quality of education is driven by property taxes, so you can't tell me that the free education one might get in Newark or Camden NJ is quality.
High life expectancy. Worldwide life expectancy has more than doubled from the pre-industrial revolution era to today. Actually, life expectancy, once one made it through childhood, was higher in the pre-agricultural era
Low frequency of deadly disease True
Affordable goods and services. True, we do have a lot of goods and services that we've been manipulated into thinking we need
Infrastructure that bolsters economic growth. Again, is economic growth something we should pursue in the future, given the unsustainability of this growth?
Political stability. I don't think that's a function of capitalism--there are other variables involved
Air conditioning. Not sure if you would consider that a "need" in many areas of the country. It's a nice to have that takes a toll on our carbon footprint
Freedom from slavery, torture and discrimination. Again, not necessarily a function of capitalism. Capitalism has its own form of slavery, torture and discrimination
Freedom of movement, religion and thought. Again, why is this a function/result of capitalism? You may be thinking of communism, but there are other political and economic models that provide freedom
The presumption of innocence under the law. Same
Equality under the law regardless of gender or race. I would argue that poor people don't see themselves as equal to rich--they might feel themselves inferior and conversely, the rich see them that way.
The right to have a family – as large as one can support. Maybe even larger. Capitalism?
The right to enjoy the fruits of labor without government – or anyone else stealing it. Not exclusive to capitalism.



I am feeding my family because of capitalism and there's a lot about the business world that is a lot of fun, but I see some serious flaws in it--it has outlived its purpose, and I see moving forward to a better way that is more inclusive, more sustainable.

[searcher1605]

Well, my conception of the wonders of capitalism would place many advances above composting, organic farming, or even urban chicken coops, all things the typical simple living proponent values. Let's make a list of things capitalism has given us:



Higher incomes that allow people to make livings that afford them more than merely survival or avoiding starvation.
A low poverty rate.
High quality and diversity of employment opportunities. Rather than the choice of being a farmer or being a blacksmith, the average citizen should have an array of careers to choose from, and the ability to be industrious and take risks for profit.
The availability of housing. On an average night in the United States, a country with a population of somewhere around 350 million, fewer than one million are homeless.
Consistent GDP growth.
Access to quality health care.
The availability of quality education. (I suppose we could quibble over the word "quality," but certainly there is widespread free educational availability.)
High life expectancy. Worldwide life expectancy has more than doubled from the pre-industrial revolution era to today
Low frequency of deadly disease.
Affordable goods and services.
Infrastructure that bolsters economic growth.
Political stability.
Air conditioning.
Freedom from slavery, torture and discrimination.
Freedom of movement, religion and thought.
The presumption of innocence under the law.
Equality under the law regardless of gender or race.
The right to have a family – as large as one can support. Maybe even larger.
The right to enjoy the fruits of labor without government – or anyone else stealing it.


I realize many people may think the system doesn't work well for them, and perhaps they're right, but I think that for the majority, it does.

We can do better. There exists enough resources so there could be NO poverty rate. That access to healthcare is highly questionable. When you look closely at the public ed in the USA , there are significant problems - the most recent is that there is a push to corporatize public education and large corp would love nothing more than to crank out drones. As far as life expectancy, what is the quality of life when the SPM ( Supplemental Poverty Rate ) in 2011 was 16% for Seniors and it would have been 24% if not for social security ( which is being eroded and will eventually vanish in my lifetime ). Is it ok that with all the wealth that exists almost a quarter of senior citizens live in poverty ? Low frequency of deadly diseases ? The exponential population growth is already way beyond what is sustainable overall. Affordable goods and services ? Currently 15% of Americans live at or below the poverty line, that's 46.5 million people. What goods and services can they afford , a pack of gum at the dollar store ?
Infrastructure that bolsters economic growth ? If you can explain what that means I'll buy you a pack of gum.
Political Stability ? Like in Ferguson or Palestine ? Because Corporate America is VERY concerned that the global political scene is stable ( if they can make a dollar from that stability, if not, they will not hesitate to make sure countries are UN-stable to turn said dollar. )
Air conditioning - hard to argue that except how can there be certainty that AC would not have been invented under any other economic model , so that's not a valid plus for anything.


Freedom from slavery, torture and discrimination.
Freedom of movement, religion and thought.
The presumption of innocence under the law.
Equality under the law regardless of gender or race.
The right to have a family – as large as one can support. Maybe even larger.
The right to enjoy the fruits of labor without government – or anyone else stealing it.


All of these last assertions are theoretical and presumptive - mostly a matter who you ask. not tangible reasons to continue to uphold great Capitalism as our one true God and fight for her to the death , in my opinion. Research socialism - TRUE socialism like citizens enjoy in Norway, Switzerland, or Sweden ( they have the highest education rate, lowest infant mortality rate , and the highest per capita income in the world ) - not the FOX News version of Nazi/Socialism. That's a boogey man they use to scare dumbed down , uneducated middle fat americans.

"I think that for the majority, it does." Sorry but there's more at stake than what you think.

I'm sorry everyone, but I don't see how more people aren't appalled and angry when you look around at things. Does anyone else pay attention ? Are your eyes all closed ? Are we so distracted with Football and the Hip Hop Awards that we can't be bothered with the state of the world , OUR world ? I'm so sick of being scared and miserable. EVERYTHING IS NOT OK !!!! I have children and am ashamed at the state of things and the problems they have to inherit.

" Theres a darkness upon me thats flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me whats wrong and whats right
And it comes in black and it comes in white
And Im frightened by those that dont see it "

[SteveinMN]

I wanna live in Alan's capitalist world. Where is that again? :)

[catherine]

Xmac posted a Prince Ea video about Ferguson recently, and coincidentally, this Prince Ea video popped up in my FB the next day: Seems to relate to searcher's frustration. I'm a little more hopeful than this, but he raises some good points.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itvnQ2QB4yc

[searcher1605]

catherine - that video is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Could not have said it better myself.

[Yossarian]

Wow that IS offensive. So, let's blame the poor for not knowing how to get rich ? Let's make fun of the little kid playing Rugby with the big grownups when the child doesn't even know the rules ? Who wrote that little anecdote, Rush Limbaugh ? Not to mention the racial overtones suggested ; " Those silly redskins, they can't even calculate depreciation on non tertiary overseas investments , hmmmf hmmmf hmmmf . Say, Luvvy, let's go to the yacht club! "






b) Yossarian: I really liked that story--what is the source? (I did not see it as offensive)





It is an excerpt from Walden by Henry David Thoreau.



http://quotes4all.net/henry_david_thoreau.148.jpg

[catherine]

It is an excerpt from Walden by Henry David Thoreau.



http://quotes4all.net/henry_david_thoreau.148.jpg

My hero!

[Dhiana]

Searcher1605,
Yes, these are tough times and the path of skilled employment you have sought is not working any longer. Time to work smarter, not harder.

A large scale woodworking shop is not an option at this time due to safety regs and startup costs but what about small scale such as creating gorgeous inlay wood iPhone 6 cases? You can easily demand a crazy high price for them!! Was just in a shop in Tokyo that was selling them for $500 and more!

You sound like you are near rock bottom and beating your head against the same brick wall expecting something different isn't happening. Time to be creative with how you can earn enough to feed your kids.

Don't waste your energy railing against a system that isn't working for you, save it for finding a better solution for you and your family.
http://www.fubiz.net/2014/09/11/engraved-wooden-iphone-cases/

[Float On]

We loved our work. Artists (glassblowers) in over 200 American Craft Galleries and traveled doing the big art shows. Know lots of wonderful wood workers across the country. But the economy tanked and affected a lot of our galleries, show expenses went up and profits down and for the first time in our 24 years of marriage we were fighting and not having fun. For the sake of the marriage we shut down. Things are turning now and our art friends are talking about profits again.

One thing they don't teach in art school is business management and that is 3/4's the job. Every state offers small business classes and mentors, hiring a good accountant is key too. Our accountant started off as an accountant and then was a metal working artist until he was injured and had to return to accounting. He understood artists and their needs and the vast variety of their income streams.
Networking and doing a fantastic job can get you in demand. From before the day we opened our own studio we had orders on the board (mostly too many) until those last couple years where we didn't have enough work. Even with the bad years...we miss it and our art community.

Currently...my DH loves that he has benefits and paid vacation and a retirement fund again. The job not-so-much. I like my job but I just work part-time, I get good pay, vacation and sick days and holidays but no insurance or retirement fund....so I'm looking for something else.

[Lainey]

I too have the hippie left-leaning sensibility and surprisingly wound up working for a mega-corp. for the past 20 years. It's pays well, has good benefits and my work contributes to transportation safety. But given that I feel I do have my eyes open. I agree with the documentary "Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heist_(documentary_film)

This was shown again recently on LinkTV and was even more upsetting realizing that we have made almost *no* changes to our economic system since the crash of 2008. We live in a corpocracy, and until there is campaign finance reform the corporations control our democracy. How the average person can manage work-wise is a struggle for many, and even more so for the next generation.

[iris lilies]

[QUOTE=catherine;184729]Xmac posted a Prince Ea video about Ferguson recently, and coincidentally, this Prince Ea video popped up in my FB the next day: Seems to relate to searcher's frustration. I'm a little more hopeful than this, but he raises some good points.




I like this guy. Thanks for the video.

[Yossarian]

we have made almost *no* changes to our economic system since the crash of 2008.

What changes would you make?

[Lainey]

What changes would you make?

Reinstate Glass-Stegall Act for starters. Canadian banks did not collapse because they kept stricter regulations. Pretty simple. And break up some of the monopolies - the banks that were too big to fail have only gotten *bigger* since 2008.

Also need campaign finance reform, or the corpocracy will continue.

[profnot]

OP -

I think you need to get a new career fast and let woodwork be your passion.

Remember how the unemployment offices used to be? Little listing of crap, low-paying jobs, and govt workers with no good advice?
No longer!

They have a new name: Worksource (at that's what it's called in my state).

You go in, get a free card, and fill out their excellent questionnaire on their computer. (I did it because I never recommend something I haven't tried myself). You get questions about what you are good at (wood working and math), whether you like to work indoors or out, and all kinds of practical stuff. Takes around 1.5 hours.

When you are done, you make an appointment with a career counselor. Free and fantastic. You will even be told your local best places to get good and cheap training (perhaps your local technical/community college),

Go to Workforce and you'll be good quick. Best of luck.

[sweetana3]

While it is not exactly woodworking at an artistic level, you might be interested in a job as a construction manager at a Habitat for Humanity group. Ours is large enough to have several. You work with people who generally want to do what they are doing and are helping organize large groups of volunteers (husband is a permanent one) to build Habitat for Humanity houses.

They vary in their organization but this one little spot seems an interesting idea.

[mtnlaurel]

Hi Searcher 1605. I have not read this entire thread, but I did read your initial post when it came out.

What if you tried a side business in farm tables like these:
http://greenville.craigslist.org/fud/4639339328.html
http://greenville.craigslist.org/fuo/4682731273.html

Look through this CraigsList page when I put 'Restoration Hardware' into Hickory, NC (about halfway down page or more)
http://hickory.craigslist.org/search/sss/?sort=rel&query=restoration+hardware

They are very popular right now and you could try to ride the whole Farm To Table trend.
If you look at a recent Southern Living magazine, this look is very popular (and I'm sure has already been high jacked by mass producers)