Bethany has broken a couple of weeks of silence with musings on the myth of the "American Dream". Maybe it's just me, but I think a lot of people would be happier with their jobs if they weren't there to put the kids through college, move into a nicer house, and finally get that Bayliner they've been dreaming about for years. You're job isn't who you are, and it shouldn't just be how you're hoping to afford getting to where you see yourself in ten years. A job is just a niche in your life, something that dictates where you spend your daytime hours and covers your expenses. If your aspirations are merely the attainment of things, I hate to ruin it for you, but your life is going to be disappointing. This might not be the blanket answer for everyone's dissatisfaction with their employment situation (and I'm mainly talking to the 9-5 crowd here), try looking at you job with a little wider view than the one from inside your cubicle. Sure, I get up at 5:00 every morning to drive an hour and a half so I can sit in front of a computer and read about dumb pilots and lazy mechanics all day, but my sister lives about half way there, and I get to stop in and have dinner with her pretty regularly. I haven't really ever had a relationship with my sister, because by the time we were getting to where we could spend time with each other without some sort of altercation breaking out, my family moved overseas. Seven years later I am finally starting to get to know her because I have a job that put me in the same part of the country. If you're one of those fortunate enough to be at LeTourneau (you can read that phrase however you want) spend some time talking with Dave Wolff. I know he's not all that excited with his actual job, but the opportunity he has to be a part of so many of your lives is made possible by his employment in the area. Dave has a great outlook, but I'm sure he'd be hating life if all he wanted was a newer car and a bigger house in a better neighborhood. I guess my point is, don't go to work because you have to go to work to make your rent and buy grocceries pay your car payment and insurance so you can keep driving to work so you can afford... Go to work because it's where God led you, and if it's not where God led you, or you can't remember God leading you there and you don't really know how you ended up where you are, then spend some time figuring that out. Maybe it's time to step out and trust him to provide for you as you go in a totally different direction. And if you are one of those people who can't stand the drudgery of your job then never, let me repeat, NEVER take a job in Seattle, because as much as you can't stand your life now, the weather here will probably push you over the edge.
In other news, I've stayed up way too late tonight to bring you new and improved links. Welcome back to Becca Ward and Tinkerbell, who were both missing in action for a couple of months. And welcome to first-timers Jenelle (check out her freudian slip...I think she meant to say "sooner") and Scholl. While I was at it, I threw a link to Christina Barany in there. I have no idea who she is, but through one of those friend of a friend of a friend kind of things I started reading her page. Good stuff. I think I just hit the wall as far as late night brain function goes, so until my next opportunity to post...enjoy yourselves.
posted by Tom 12:30 AM
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
Don't really have time to post today, but I came across this at work today and thought it was pretty funny. Any of you pilots out there should get a kick out of this.
Written up in a maintenance log (edited from nearly unintelligible pilot abbreviation slang to common english):
Speedbrake failed to deploy on landing. May have been due to smooth touchdown.
You probably also took the time to call tower and ask if you were indeed on the ground. How conceited is that? You have to invent a problem with the airplane just so you can tell the mechanics how good you are. If you had half a brain, you'd realize that this will just make the pilots mock you that much more. (If you don't think mechanics make fun of pilots, go talk to Jordan Groody.)
posted by Tom 5:23 PM
It starts with the shoe. Maybe the next day it's a t-shirt or a sock. You don't know if the washing machine ate it, or your roommate borrowed it a month ago and forgot that it was yours. All you know is that by the end of the week, you're walking to class naked because you don't have any clothes left.
