I Don't Wanna Work, I Want to bang on the Drum All Day

Let's face it, we are all mercenaries. We all toil away at our jobs because we need money. We need money to live, to eat, to survive, and to enjoy as much as we can out of life. From the time you are a child, you are asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s drilled into us from toddler-hood that at some point you will grow up and have a job.

Most of us are descendants of immigrants. Unless you happen to be a Native American, your ancestors came from another country. This means that they likely came here for opportunity. Things have to be pretty bad if you are willing to journey across the ocean on a month-long trip that will take you to a place where you know no one, and do not speak the language. So suffice it to say that immigrant life was not easy. I know for a fact that it was not. My great grandparents all came from Italy and worked their tails off so their children could have a better life. And their children did have better lives, as did their grandchildren. They worked HARD: in factories, at physical labor, or at whatever job they could get. They did not have fancy educations; they did what they needed to do to feed their families.

Recently I came across an article in a magazine about teenagers having part-time jobs. The article was about the pros and cons of teenagers working during the school year. I started the article with an open mind; after all, these days the pressure on kids is enormous. Some of the kids I tutor wake up at 5:00 am (some of the girls at 4 am, to do their hair), get on the bus by 6, ride over an hour to school, and start their school day at 7:30. They are out of school at 2:00pm, but then face sports practice, clubs, or just the ride home. By the time they get home, they have to squeeze in homework, dinner, and sleep. Most of them are stressed, over scheduled, and just plain exhausted. Therefore, I could see where in these cases it may be hard for a teen to have a part-time job during the school year.

The article went on to say that a summer job for teens is almost always good. I agreed (although at 16 I thought this was a terrible idea). The article then started to state why teens working during the school year could be a poor idea. I thought they would be discussing the reasons I mentioned above….oh no.

The article said that teenagers who work often do so at mundane jobs. For example, they may stock shelves, serve customers fast food, work a cash register, or file papers. These were the types of jobs we had as teens; it never occurred to us that we were qualified to do anything else. The article continued by saying that working at a “boring” or “monotonous” job may contribute toward negative attitudes toward work itself or poor work habits. It said that parents often never saw their teen’s place of employment, and could not therefore conclude if it was an appropriate work environment.

And there’s more, folks. It said that teens should be encouraged to find jobs that are fulfilling and interesting….it listed good motivations and poor motivations for working. Good motivations included dabbling in a potential career field, or gaining valuable life experience. Bad motivations were wanting extra money or wanting to work at the mall, where their friends worked WHAT????????? I repeat, WHAT?????? Honest to God, you can’t make up this stuff.

There are two primary reasons teens work at mundane jobs. First of all, teenagers are completely self-absorbed, and therefore, their brains are often focused on other things. They are, by nature, self-centered creatures, who think that every problem is a tragedy that will never resolve and that life is just hangin' with your BFFs, who will there forever. I was the same way, every teen is. Secondly, most teens have not yet completed high school, nevermind any formal training in other areas of employment. Therefore, they are not qualified to do anything else. They are not qualified to be surgical residents, CEOs of companies, university professors, or leaders of expeditions to save the endangered whale. Now I admit, any of these endeavours sounds more interesting than bagging Happy Meals, or putting away the returns at the local Wal-mart. But that is life; you start at the bottom and work your way up. You gain experience dealing with a crabby boss, working with people who are shitheads, and understanding what it means to earn your money. You realize that the things your parents buy are not so cheap and that money is something that should be spent wisely.

My first job , when I was 16 years old, was at a Pathmark grocery store. I was a cashier. Scanners had just begun popping up in supermarkets, so being a cashier was pretty easy. And it was boring. And I hated it. But my parents told me that if I wanted to have that Flashdance sweatshirt with the ripped sleeves and those white leather boots that I had to get a job and pay for them myself. Again, at this age I thought this was a crappy plan. Having them give me the money was a much better idea.

But I did work in Pathmark for about 3 months until 2 of my friends got jobs next door, at the Kmart. After those 3 months I hung up my blue polyester smock forever and moved next door to Kmart to be with my friends. It was a dull job, but we had fun. We took breaks together, and hung out together after work. We traded shifts if someone had a date, or worked extra hours to buy x-mas gifts. We made the best of those dull jobs and earned some cash in the process. I learned to handle money, smile courteously at people I hated, and keep my temper in check. I learned that people counted on me to be at work and that I better show up. I also learned that money is hard to earn and you should appreciate what what you have. I guess these were poor motivations for work. All I can say is I have not stopped working since I first donned that Pathmark smock at 16; I work because I have to, not because love it. But that's life and unless you are Paris Hilton, get used to it.