Different Skills, Different Paths

Last week I took Joey to watch our auto mechanic, Mr. Jeff, working on cars. Joey loves cars and trucks, and the trip was a success. It may not have looked like Joey was fascinated to most people, as he meandered around the lot peering into windows and talking about various things that wouldn't seem related to cars, I could tell he was happy. There were trucks. There were engines. There were tractors. Life was great. Maybe Joey will grow up to be an auto mechanic!

I know we have family and friends who would not approve. Too many people in this society think that a briefcase and corporate tie are marks of success. The decline in manufacturing and industry in this country has meant the worst financial straits in nearly a century. The excuse for getting rid of factory jobs is that people should go into information technology and other computer and service-sector employment, as if there was something dirty and bad about factory jobs. Let's face it. Not everyone is a computer whiz. In fact, it takes intelligence and good sense to be a good manufacturer, a good auto mechanic, a good construction worker.

I have two boys who need to be able to take their own paths, and we are working hard to prepare them for any path they may decide to take. It is likely that Andy will want something physical to do- park ranger? veterinarian? maybe a farmer? or construction? Joey may need something that doesn't require a lot of speaking. He loves cars and trucks- an auto mechanic seems like a great path to take, if he decides he's really interested.

There's more than one way to make a living. Thank goodness. It would be a boring world if everybody was a computer tech or a doctor. Also a hungry one with nothing to live in, sore feet from walking to work, and nothing to wear. Not that we don't need working computers an good health, but there are so many different paths to take. That's one reason we're all made so differently- so we all have our dreams to follow and things we can and want to do.