The Ponderings Of Life

"G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3" (gbodyman) 04/19/2016 at 15:06 • Filed to: None

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These are the frenzied thoughts of a teenager struggling to come to grips with reality. If you’re willing to lend an ear, you might want to have a nice looking car for your time.

I’ve already accepted the fact that college isn’t for me. I figure it’s best to invest the meager funds I have into other options. And currently, since transportation will be necessary for a part-time job, I figure that using an extra $500 or so on necessary insurance is investing in opportunities. A while ago, I was asked what I wanted to do after high school. The answer I gave was “be happy.” Traditional higher education isn’t the only way to make it. Don’t worry about me, as I have two rules in life that should see me out the other side okay. If happiness was a fish we could catch, I’m still fishing. But that’s okay, as even the worst fishermen will catch at least one fish eventually.

RyanFrew > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 15:11

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If there’s one thing I know, it’s that happiness isn’t something you catch or earn. It’s all about enjoying the journey.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > RyanFrew 04/19/2016 at 15:12

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Indeed.

Mattbob > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 15:16

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I totally agree with you about wanting to be happy, and that college isn’t for everyone. But you had better not be wondering around aimless hoping something falls into your lap. Happiness is hard to come by when you are too poor to afford to do what you want, and the only way to avoid that is to get your ass in gear. Whether it is college or trade school, or some other form of career, happiness requires some level of success at whatever you decide to do, and that requires hard work.

TheRealBicycleBuck > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 15:20

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College isn’t for everyone. Here in Louisiana, the kids who don’t go to college aim for a career at one of the chemical or petroleum plants.

Learning a trade is another good way to make a decent living. Be careful about the trade you pick. Some trades are very mobile which is both a good and a bad thing. My grandfather was a plumber - decent money, hard work, kept him local. My wife’s uncle was a construction welder - great money, hard work, moved to a new place every few years. A/C techs make a good living, but have to work in attics in the heat of the day. I have a cousin who was trained to be a mechanic and was one of the few techs certified to work on Vipers in his area. But the pay wasn’t great and the B.S. level was high. Diesel techs also make a decent living if you work for a big shop or start your own shop.

There are lots of options out there besides college and there’s nothing wrong with going with one of them.

jimz > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 15:22

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don’t count out a skilled trade. I know everyone in this country thinks the lack of a college degree makes one a “shitkicker,” but there will always be a need for people who know how to fix and/or build things. People who can stand to make decent money off of people who can’t.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > jimz 04/19/2016 at 15:25

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Oh, I hear you for sure. For me, a skilled trade or apprenticeship just makes more sense. I learn better that way.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 15:28

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I did a year of college got a degree and have not worked one single day in that field.

College is not a necessity of life. Just don’t hop from job to job every time you get a chance to make $0.25/hr more. Find a job with room for advancement and have a willingness to learn and you’ll be surprised when you put enough time in just how well off you’ll be.

I started at a hydraulic supply shop fresh out of college. I knew NOTHING about hydraulics but I had a strong mechanical understanding of how things worked and a good attitude. I started picking parts in the warehouse for $14/hour and after 3 or 4 months they saw I was capable of much more so they started having me work with their machinist on the lathe. I’ve learned a lot and eventually(over the course of two years) took over working the machine shop and got a healthy raise to $19/hr

That company closed down because of poor economic conditions but I started a new job less than 72 hours later doing the exact same thing for $20/hr. I was hired on as their lead machinist and over the course of 3 years I became the machine shop supervisor with 3 guys working for me and was now up to $24/hr.

News got around of the type of guy I was so a competing company called me up and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. $29/hr, full benefits from day one & 3 weeks holiday right from the get go.

In 10 years I’ve had 3 jobs. I’d probably still be working at the first place if they hadn’t shut down.

Moral of the story is: Put your time in and you’ll be amazed of the results you can achieve.

d15b > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 15:32

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Repost of a response I sent an Oppo on some general advice.

A couple of rules:

1. If you are better than your current job, do an EXCELLENT job so that others (such as your manager) know it as well.

2. Treat your professional career like golf. Don’t compare yourself to others and you will feel right about where you are and what you have done.

3. Learn how to manage upwards. What this means is that you need to ask the right questions, understand how your job relates to others and what it means in the bigger picture. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN UNIMPORTANT TASK.

4. Take pride in your work. Yes, my car has 14 inch wheels, but I keep them clean, though.

5. If you make a mistake, own up to it and explain what you learned to your manager. He or she will write-it-off as experience and you’ll be able to translate that experience into management making experience and decisions.

6. Love what you do and your living situation. This is probably the most important item on the list, as it has a general, personal life component. If you can love your job, you will be naturally engaged and keen on working hard. If you love your living situation, work becomes easier. In other words, if your dream job is in LA, but you absolutely hate LA (because the quality of life SUCKS, as in I hate the fact that a trip to Target becomes a 3 hour ordeal because the closest one is on Santa Monica Blvd and La Brea and that area is a total shitstorm), you’re going to have a bad time. True story, for me.

7. Don’t take things personally. If someone (co-worker, boss, subordinate) has a suggestion on how you do something, I assure you, it is NOT about you, personally. They want you to do a good job (it doesn’t matter that you doing a good job makes their life easier), so take the feedback and advice and apply it. I assure you, their intention is to make everyone’s lives easier.

8. That said, you will run across a person who hasn’t learned the above point. They will twist your words and interpret everything as an attack. If that is the case, just give that person facts and no conjecture. If you have to, write in short sentences without any room for misinterpretation.

9. Learn how to cook and pack a bag lunch. Your wallet will thank you after the weekends.

10. Dating in the workplace is just a bad idea, in general. Don’t do it.

I am in my early 30s, and I don’t take any of these lessons for granted. Some, I had to experience myself. Others, I witnessed it happen.

Good luck, and don’t be too hard on yourself when you fail.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/19/2016 at 15:32

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I still kick myself for not going in the heavy equipment mechanic trade when I was younger. I’d make twice what I make now even if I already earn a very decent living.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/19/2016 at 15:40

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Absolutely.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Mattbob 04/19/2016 at 15:40

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I totally get that. I’m trying whatever I can to get myself into an advantageous position.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 04/19/2016 at 15:42

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Agreed. I just have to find something, and stick to it.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > d15b 04/19/2016 at 15:43

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Our errors are what we learn from. I am just trying to make few enough that I won’t get sacked.

d15b > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 15:45

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With that kind of attitude, you will do fine as long as you make the attempt.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 04/19/2016 at 15:46

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And the corollary to that - be willing to work hard. Don’t be the last one to arrive in the morning and the first to run out the door at the end of the day.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > d15b 04/19/2016 at 15:47

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Attempts, whether successful or failed, are all learning experiences. It’s the effort that counts.

Dru > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 15:59

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Everyone here is giving good advice, let me just pile on a bit:

1. When it comes to jobs, education, or vocational training, stick it out longer than you think you can. I have worked for two companies in 10 years (side jobs and temporary PT gigs aside), and people tend to appreciate the longevity. It shows you are dependable. I got through college with a degree in something I am not currently using, but education as a whole made me a smarter, more analytical person.

2. More of an add on to the previous point: there will be down times at any job, you just have to try to understand why things get bad and whether or not they will improve, but don’t jump ship because of a temporary setback

3. Learn to recognize when personal relationships have run their course. Be they friendships or romantic ones, they do sometimes become negative. Know when to walk away.

Land_Yacht_225 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 16:00

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Lemme tell you why I know you’re gonna be just fine: that car up top is a 1973 Buick Electra 225. That is the car I take my username from.

It takes a special kind of person to see beauty in something like that. A unique view and a thought process all your own. That shit extrapolates, believe you me. As for college, I buried myself in debt for 3 years, and if I play my cards right, I’ve got another 6 years ahead of me. If you don’t want to run on that hamster wheel, good on you. It’s a hassle.

But during breaks, I’ve got a job as a driver for Enterprise. I may make a dollar over minimum wage, but I love that job. It makes me happy. And because I know cars, my boss doesn’t have to send cars to the dealer to get the check engine light checked or the maintenance lights turned off. Make your talents known to whoever you work for. Make sure you are the go to employee. My job description grew from picking up customers to vehicle maintenance, fleet management, cracking the whip over the detailers, and even agent in the field for vehicle recovery in like a month. You don’t ever get put on seasonal staff at Enterprise, but I did. Because you can make yourself indispensable.

That’s all you need to do.

MUSASHI66 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 16:06

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It is what you learn from those experiences and mistakes that counts. No one is going to tell you “good effort failing miserably at this task I gave you”.

MUSASHI66 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 16:12

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College is rapidly becoming a huge scam - I work for an university and have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. One can succeed in life without having a college degree.

You can:

- Join the armed forces, have a career for life

- Drive a truck - my dad manages to pull around $90k every year

- Become a plumber

-Become an electrician

-Work construction

-Open your own business - Dog Poop removal, dog walker, landscaping, road assistance....options are countless.

I am out of ideas this very second, but college is not the answer for everyone. My degree happened to be in something that I am using every day (IT), and I make close to 6 figures. My wife is a lawyer, same story. But, if I could, I would quit this very second and open my own doggy day care, bring my dogs to work with me, and be 100000x happier than wearing my khakis in the office for 8 hours a day. Or, if I knew then what I know now, I would have joined Denver Fire Department when I was 21.

RyanFrew > d15b 04/19/2016 at 16:43

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Awesome post. I want to add one more point to this list, given how young OP is. If you don’t know something, say it. Even if you can get away with bullshitting, people tend to appreciate when you’re honest and admit that you don’t know the answer to any given question (if you really don’t know). Then, after acknowledging that you don’t readily have an answer, go get it.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > MUSASHI66 04/19/2016 at 16:45

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I agree completely. I guess I should have worded it “it’s the effort you put in that counts.”

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Dru 04/19/2016 at 16:45

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Absolutely.

El Rivinado > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 04/19/2016 at 19:21

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Someone else who recognizes that college isn’t right for them. Finally!!

Lemme tell you a story, I work in a kitchen, I hate what I do. I went to culinary school, I quit after two semesters because I doubted that the industry was right for me. After working in the industry, I was right to not waste my time. But I work, because its the only job I could get.

Now my dad, keeps bugging me and dropping hints for me to go back to school. I just want to smack his fat face and tell him to shut the fuck up about it. It gets on my nerves, I have some idea of what I might want to do in the future (Auto repair seems nice) but I don’t want to waste time, money, and whatever on college.

Overtime, I’ve learned to associate people who went to college the same as people who had kids. Not most people, just “those” people. And I say the same thing every single time I make this comparison. It’s fine if it worked for you, I’m glad you found happiness and success in it, but not everyone feels the same as you do and that’s okay. Trying to pressure people into following what you’ve done, it ain’t cool, because it’s not for everyone. It’s a big commitment, it requires time and money to invest, and it changes your life forever. Not everyone is fit for it, so instead of pressuring people with the whole “it worked for me, it’ll work for you.” line of thinking, understand that some people can follow their own path without following in your footsteps, and live long and happy and successful lives.

I’m also glad you found happiness and are pursuing that path. I’ve been sitting at my pole for god knows how long waiting for a bit, every time I get a tug and think its within reach, the fish swims away and I got to wait all over again. Somedays I wonder if waiting is really worth it, but I'm trying to learn that waiting for eternity for even a hint of a nibble, is better than packing up the toolbox and going home.

DrJohannVegas > jimz 04/20/2016 at 12:35

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The possession of a college degree does not make one an intelligent, well-rounded individual, nor does the absence of said degree prevent one from being so. As someone who makes a living on the periphery of higher education, it infuriates me to no end to see the elitism some exhibit around this issue. I’ve met boorish, ignorant PhDs/MDs/JDs and wise, intellectually curious folks with GEDs. Like all such characterizations, it’s lazy thinking which drives that perspective.

On your last line, amen, brother.

TL;DR: Right on.