When did this change happen?

Somerset? You must be a cider drinker.

 

Yeh, maybe that's why nobody bothers to ask me!

 

It keeps happening. My high school class is having its 40th reunion in a couple of months and I was browsing the web site they set up for it. I'm not the reunion type, never been to one in fact, but I'm writing a book that deals with the period '70-'71 and thought I might learn something from the 'kids' of that time.
Anyhow, in answer to the question in the profile 'what have you been doing for the last 40 years?', every one I looked at, put their kids, etc., which is fine, but then these detailed descriptions of their jobs and careers. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, especially after reading some of the interesting comments in this thread here, but there it is. Maybe the people who actually have interests other than jobs aren't the sort to be inclined to post on a reunion web site.
Thanks for the space to vent.

 

My grandmother told me that "making a living was only PART of making a life." I gradually realized I shouldn't define myself by what I did for a living and that people who did were more egotistical and driven (and usually boring as hell). Find people who embrace life in all it's aspects and you'll generally find they'll embrace all in you, too...

 

This is pretty intresting stuff. So what do you do?.....when is the correct awnser...hahahaha

 

When folks ask me "What do you do?" I reply "I don't". (in the same tone I might have said 'student' or 'retail sales'.) It the truth for me. Sometimes people really dig it, some say "what do you mean?", then I say "if you understand your question you would understand my answer." ...if they get defensive and ask me "whats my question?" I reply "your asking me how I go about earning a living are you not?" if they agree...I tell them I'm not working (NO SHAME people), if they say no, I will ask them would they have still asked me that question if I was wearing a work uniform (chef's attire, cop outfit)....I allways bust em.

 

This is a topic that interests me a lot, simply because I've been wrestling with this concept all my life.

Maybe I'm just oversimplifying the situation, but I've always felt that the approach to "making a living" was two-fold:

1) Some do what they like, do it well, because they like doing it, and stand out because they're doing it well. This makes whatever it is they are doing superior to someone else who may be doing the same, or a similar thing, but poorly, because to them it's not fun, but "just a job".

2) Others do something for the financial reward, because it pays well, though they may dislike what they do. During the time they're not doing it, they have money to spend on whatever it is they REALLY wanted to do.

I don't know which way is the "right" way, but if I could "do" it all over again, I'd focus on what I like to do, rather than just chasing the money. However, maybe if the money were good enough, I'd still chase the money, and have enough to retire early and do what I want.

As it turns out, I worked as an electrician for 25 years, long enough to end up with a pension after being forced into retirement in 2003. I'm just getting by on my pension, but it's "guaranteed" (I mean, what is really "guaranteed"? I'm mean relatively secure,,) money until I die, and goes to my wife if she survives me. It's a monthly allotment that barely meets the basic necessities, but it's nice that I don't have to get out of bed if I don't want to. On the downside, we have no health insurance. :bigcry:

So, we try to remain healthy. If need be, we can pay a visit to the local ER, in an emergency.

But the question remains, what is best, big money, or fulfillment? Enough money can buy fulfillment after a fashion, at least get you part way there. But doing something fulfilling can sometimes pay enough to carry you, your squaw, and three papooses.

Regret kicks in if you feel you could have changed something about the way you handled your circumstances. In time, and with age, some of those doors are closed. Others, however, may still remain open.

It's a gift to know how to take advantage of opportunity, in a timely manner.

Otherwise, it's a crap shoot.

I wanted to be a scientist when I was little. Then, later on, a rock musician. I ended up doing electrical work, because it paid well enough to justify getting out of bed in the morning, day after day, month after month, year after year. At least I thought it did at the time.

I think I "settled" too soon. I should have been a professional musician. Having inherited a fine ear for music from my operatic parents, I could have kicked some serious musical ass. Jimmy Page, move over.

But that's all hindsight. Who knows what turns our lives might have taken if I were to have invested the time and energy in music instead of my "steady job"??

That was then. This is now.

But as to "what I do",,,hmmm,,,I think,,I walk,,I talk,,I eat,,I poop,,I sleep. Then I get up and do it all over again.

But I do feel it's a legitimate question, and it always bothers me when people get evasive about their vocation. It's something that causes you to have "special knowledge", and in my opinion, knowledge is a form of currency, and one that can be shared, for the profit of all.

:ssmokeit:

 

Old Joke:

What do you do for a living?

I'm a musician.

No, what do you DO for a living?

Stay Brown,
Rev J

 

I think its because our society is wraped around money, status and power. It no longer matters to most people if they hate their jobs or not as they are just want the money. We are taught from an early age that money and materilaizuim is impportant not happiness or individual freedom.

 

Isn't the "what do you do" query a way of quickly assessing your economic status in life?

When I went to school, if they asked you that or "what are you taking" (in school), or "what do you want to be" (after school) they'd be stacking you up against the other guys wallowing around at the beer blast.

 

There's nothing new about the question. Work is a big part of most people's lives time-wise and also in how they live. Ideally a person's work has meaning (see Reverend JC above or check with a teacher or baker or doctor ...) and the work is liked or even loved. Obviously for most people it's best to have a balanced life (different balances at different stages of life) vs ruled by any one thing like work or drugs or sports or art or whatever. But at the same time, great things aren't generally accomplished by casual users (of life).

 

Good post!

Some occupations were once more of a "calling" -- now, too many are just a job.

 

we we,er talking to people our age, we left behind some new meanings for different words, (groovin, wow, herb,) thats why we got used to those answers, had we have ask an old buzz cut redneck, the answer would have been " banker, farmer, store owner etc.

 

Interesting responses. Now I catch myself modifying the question to something like "what do you do for fun?" or some such. Sadly, a lot of people say something like, "not much, just work, tv, maybe a movie or dinner out once in a while."

 

When people ask me what I do I tell them I ride my bike and get high.Not always in that order.

 

I loath this question and always answer with some sardonic reply like "breathe in breathe out" or "boker of smoles." Who the hell cares what I have to do for survival tickets, it's what I do when I'm living that defines who I am not the other way around. Why don't people say "hey where do you work?" or "what was your Major?" I could flow with that if I had too.

 

People interpret "what do you do" differently.
If you don't want to hear a job title try asking "what're you interested in".

 

god what a boring question. I dread being asked this question because it never means, "what do you do for fun?" and it always means "what do you do for work?"

Maybe if I had a cool job title, I wouldn't mind the question so much. If I could say, "oh, i'm a scientist," it would be awesome. But I can't just say my job title, I actually have to give a description of my job for people to understand and thats just going way too deep into boring conversation territory.

Sometimes I say, "Oh, I work a job that bores so it will definitely bore you hearing about it. Otherwise, I'm into music, hiking, blah blah blah"

I've said I'm a writer a couple of times because I enjoy writing, I spend a portion of my time writing, I would like to be a paid writer one day. That ends up being misleading though because people expect that you mean you've written a novel or write for a newspaper or something, when in actuality I've never made any money from writing.

 

To me the question would be, when did people become so incredibly dull? It shocks me how many people have absolutely nothing going on outside of watching tv, drama with their relationships, and judging the life choices of others. Perhaps that would account for why everyone tends to answer that question with their job.

 

"hi --nice to meet you. What do you do?

"I'm a proctologist." Attention shifts elsewhere immediately if done with a straight face.