careers

  With the recent uproar over a commencement speech that didn't comply with the current narrative regarding the role of women in the world, I am left thinking about my own contributions. Opps, I mean journey. We are all on a journey these days, with every moment, every endeavor, every purchase or circumstance, we are on our journey. Whatever happened in the past is far more important to our journey than where it is we are going however, strange how that works. But if I can draw upon the challenges and obstacles faced by my ancestors it will empower me on my journey. It's very important to be empowered. Might be more important than the journey.

 Here I am, seventy years old and I never had a career. Well at least I have never thought of anything I did as a career. Yes, I did retire from the navy, and you could say it was a career, but I wasn't a career sailor. I was just someone doing a job that needed to be done. I agreed to the terms of employment, signed the agreement and fulfilled that contract. As a result, I receive certain entitlements. I benefit from that decision. I have had several jobs, employment, means of providing for my myself and my family, but none were a career. As with my naval experience I simply agreed to the terms of employment and went to work. Along the way I became a father and a grandfather. You know, on my journey. 

 It all comes back to the same question however, where are we going? If we are all on our personal journeys just, where are we going. Where is mankind as a whole going? We are all in this together aren't we. It would seem we should all work toward a common goal. What is that goal? Is it to leave this planet and explore the galaxy. Once we can do that what is the goal? Just to say, hi there, we are from earth. Just thought we would stop by. 

 But I was thinking about all these personal journeys people are on these days. It is the same question, where are you trying to go? The truth is the best you can hope for on your journey, is what you leave behind. To that end the journey isn't really about you, it is about those that come after you. That is what is central to every religious belief if you really think about it. Your reward, your journey's end is a life everlasting, in one form or another, depending. But the idea is, your job is done. Heritage, we call that, you leave a heritage. It may be in material things, or it may only reside in the memories of others. Is one more valuable than the other? 

 In the speech that Butker delivered he was speaking about a career. Isn't that why we all go to college, to obtain a degree, start a career, and become successful? The more money, power and prestige you garner the more successful you are right. In order to be successful, you have to satisfy what society defines as success. But he offered an alternative to that. He suggested, and it was just a suggestion, that perhaps being a wife, and a mother could be just as rewarding, just as satisfying and just as prestigious a career as being the CEO of some corporation. He was suggesting that perhaps there is a place for traditional roles in the modern world. 

 I'm left wondering if that applies to me as well. I chose being a husband and a father over being a career man. I didn't attend a college or university, just went to work every day. I still read a lot of books and stuff, attended numerous courses of instruction, practiced in the real world a variety of trades. But I didn't have a career. Have I failed to live up to expectations? Well, maybe in others eyes I have, and they are entitled to their opinion, but it isn't how I feel at all. I don't feel like I'm on a journey, I'm just passing through. A journey requires a destination you feel capable of completing. I don't have the final say on that. It really doesn't matter how I feel when it comes to that, not my decision to make. 

 As far as choosing to be a wife and mother, being a homemaker as they say, if you don't choose that, who will. Who is supposed to raise the children, maintain the home, build those loving relationships and create those family ties? Are there professionals for that? Day care workers, primary school teachers or what? Is that job being relegated to the coaches of the sports teams? Mom is only home for dinner and has her career to consider. Her career is far more important than your needs, that much is obvious. She has to work! That's the narrative today and you had better get with the program. Don't even think about any other way. That is just old-fashioned nonsense. In fact, it is degrading and demeaning to the entire female population!