In Which We Learn A Hard Lesson
As I sit in front of the computer creating yet another specialized resume for the latest round of job-hunting, I find my mind wandering away from the task at hand. "I'm not really procrastinating," I mutter. I know that the turn my thoughts have taken doesn't lend itself to what I'm supposed to be working on. Regardless, my thoughts turn to how much life has changed in what the women in my family have viewed as most necessary, what we must teach our children to give them the best possible chance at a happy, fulfilling life.
For my grandmother, who was born in 1924, her most important task by far was to take care of her home and children. Her energy was bent to making sure every chore was completed quickly and efficiently so she could get on to the next one. Days spent cooking, cleaning and tending her five acres of crops lead to evenings spent sewing, crafting and canning before heading to bed early to start it all again the next morning. My mother still tells stories of coming home from school to peel ten pounds of potatoes for dinner every night before being allowed to start her homework. My grandmother raised her children to work hard, instilling loyalty and a solid work ethic to help them make their way in the world. If they found good jobs and showed their devotion to the company over a lifetime, they could retire and the company would reward that loyalty and hard work by taking care of them and their families for the rest of their lives.
Growing up during the '60s and '70s gave my mother a somewhat different viewpoint. Though she still taught her daughters how to cook, clean, and keep house, her priorities had shifted to furthering their - and her - education so she could get a good job. We girls were sent directly to our room to do homework before starting our chores. This shift in priorities caused friction between my mother and grandmother. While my mother got her GED and went on to college to get a degree after her divorce, we lived with my grandmother. More than once, my grandmother would send me straight to the kitchen after school with detailed instructions for making dinner that night - only to have my mother countermand her and send me off to do my homework. "She needs to get good grades to get into college," my mother explained. "She'll need scholarships to pay for the education that will land a good job to take care of her for life."
I grew up in the '80s and '90s being taught to study hard and get my college degree. Then I'd get a good job and be set for life. I believed, only to find that the rules had changed again. By the time I left college, the ideals my parents and grandparents had clung to were dying. Today, they seem all but gone. No longer are hard work and company loyalty the yardstick by which employees are measured. Good salaries are not guaranteed by a degree from "the right school" - these days, a degree doesn't guarantees a job at all, much less a good one. For the last decade and more in the United States, Generation X has been learning a very hard lesson: What our parents and grandparents taught us has in many ways trapped us in a reality that doesn't fit our expectations.
Armed with this knowledge, I go back to working on my resume. I edit and tweak it, looking for a way to find, maybe not a good job that will take care of me for life, but a decent job that will take care of me for now.
The above was written as an entry in LJ Idol Season 7, Week 3 for the therealljidol community. Constructive criticism is always welcomed - and if you liked it, please vote in the poll. Copyright mine, all rights reserved, etc. Thanks for taking the time to read. ~gaea_rising~
For my grandmother, who was born in 1924, her most important task by far was to take care of her home and children. Her energy was bent to making sure every chore was completed quickly and efficiently so she could get on to the next one. Days spent cooking, cleaning and tending her five acres of crops lead to evenings spent sewing, crafting and canning before heading to bed early to start it all again the next morning. My mother still tells stories of coming home from school to peel ten pounds of potatoes for dinner every night before being allowed to start her homework. My grandmother raised her children to work hard, instilling loyalty and a solid work ethic to help them make their way in the world. If they found good jobs and showed their devotion to the company over a lifetime, they could retire and the company would reward that loyalty and hard work by taking care of them and their families for the rest of their lives.
Growing up during the '60s and '70s gave my mother a somewhat different viewpoint. Though she still taught her daughters how to cook, clean, and keep house, her priorities had shifted to furthering their - and her - education so she could get a good job. We girls were sent directly to our room to do homework before starting our chores. This shift in priorities caused friction between my mother and grandmother. While my mother got her GED and went on to college to get a degree after her divorce, we lived with my grandmother. More than once, my grandmother would send me straight to the kitchen after school with detailed instructions for making dinner that night - only to have my mother countermand her and send me off to do my homework. "She needs to get good grades to get into college," my mother explained. "She'll need scholarships to pay for the education that will land a good job to take care of her for life."
I grew up in the '80s and '90s being taught to study hard and get my college degree. Then I'd get a good job and be set for life. I believed, only to find that the rules had changed again. By the time I left college, the ideals my parents and grandparents had clung to were dying. Today, they seem all but gone. No longer are hard work and company loyalty the yardstick by which employees are measured. Good salaries are not guaranteed by a degree from "the right school" - these days, a degree doesn't guarantees a job at all, much less a good one. For the last decade and more in the United States, Generation X has been learning a very hard lesson: What our parents and grandparents taught us has in many ways trapped us in a reality that doesn't fit our expectations.
Armed with this knowledge, I go back to working on my resume. I edit and tweak it, looking for a way to find, maybe not a good job that will take care of me for life, but a decent job that will take care of me for now.
The above was written as an entry in LJ Idol Season 7, Week 3 for the therealljidol community. Constructive criticism is always welcomed - and if you liked it, please vote in the poll. Copyright mine, all rights reserved, etc. Thanks for taking the time to read. ~gaea_rising~