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HAPPY NEW YEAR, What do you do for a Living?


Steven Tari

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Happy New Year to all.

I worked in IT, from 1971 thru my 2008 layoff, for different companies (NYSE, Merrill Lynch, Chase Bank among them) in the Systems Admin area for high volume transaction processing systems. The last 2 years my full time job was trying to find a job (the hardest "job related" thing I've ever had to do).

I am happy to say that I've gotten 3 solid job offers in the last month, 1 in Maryland, 1 in Nebraska and 1 in Texas. I live in New Jersey..

But, if all goes as planned, on January 17th I'll be in the Houston area re-starting my career.

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Happy New Year to all.

 

I'm 61, and am a business executive for the largest transit bus manufacturer in the US. I've worked for the same company for 30 years, and before that I built Class 8 trucks, (Peterbilt and Mack), for a total of 43 years doing pretty much the same thing. I would like to work another 5 years since I have probably the best job of anyone I know.

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I've been writing and taking pictures for enough money to eat for 45 years. Topic, media and paychecks have changed a time or two. I think Nathan is going the correct course getting a teaching degree. With that you can still write what you wish on the side, or play music. I'm extremely lucky with personal health and feel as good as at 28. On the other hand, at 28 I got back into some pretty heavy personal physical training 'cuz I was outa shape. <grin> I'd like to keep working until I drop at a keyboard.

 

As for the "kids" here, careful what you wish for. You might get it. Consider you're gonna be around a longer time than you possibly can imagine at your age, and look for ways to make a living that may change less in the future into something less fun, if not less rewarding.

 

An don't stop pickin' whether you do it for money or not. It's a lot cheaper than booze and it's good to keep the brain cells working. If you have kids, it's good for their brain cells too, and it's not necessarily at all an entirely bad example. It makes for good tales to tell young folks when you're not one yourself any more.

 

m

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Hi all, happy new year!

 

I work in IT/software development/support for a large payroll services provider. In previous roles, I've worked in human resources, technical support, and sonar division on a submarine.

 

My bachelors degree in communication/computer science pre-dates my military service, but both forms of training have served me well.

 

Music is my escape, and I admit I really miss gigging. I do like that it is not "work" though. I do admire professional musicians, as I come from a family full of 'em. :-D

 

Don

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Surfpup...

 

My favorite subjects except... I'm not sure I could handle the middle school age kids.

 

Well, okay, I enjoy the study of philosophy as well. And about anything else that somehow trips my trigger for whatever reason.

 

m

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It's my favorite age to teach, actually. We get on well. Guess that might

say something about my own mental age! [biggrin] It really is a lot of

fun. Most days I don't even feel like I'm working. The exception is grading

the mountain of essays. Then I occasionally feel like shooting myself in

the head.

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The exception is grading

the mountain of essays. Then I occasionally feel like shooting myself in

the head.

 

Hey, Fuzzpup.... do you ever find that "special" kid that can REALLY write?

 

When I was young, I always felt that my compositions/essays were different from the other kids....funny, and somewhat more mature than the others.

 

I still do write for dog magazines now, but I feel if I had any talent, it was wasted away writing technical stuff and business letters/memos, (many of which are considered "classics" at work!).

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Hey, Fuzzpup.... do you ever find that "special" kid that can REALLY write?

 

I do. They are rare, but it happens. I teach gifted and talented children, so they possess better than average language

skills anyway. Sometimes it can be a challenge to offer the brilliant ones constructive criticism.

 

I still do write for dog magazines now, but I feel if I had any talent, it was wasted away writing technical stuff and business letters/memos, (many of which are considered "classics" at work!).

 

I know what you mean. I spend so much time writing at work that I rarely feel like writing at home. I keep thinking... "one day".

It's never too late. ChanMan might chime in here too. He writes some great horror/suspense stuff himself. Maybe we can start like

an old guy wanna be writers club! [biggrin]

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I end up banging out probably 2,000 words a day on average Monday through Friday. So sometimes I prefer pickin' if I'm not doing work writing.

 

I've taught various stuff over the years - although not in public schools 'cuz I was too dumb to get a degree - and it's pretty rewarding between the ears.

 

Surfpup... the problem with those Middle School age kids to me is that they never get my puns and it seems metaphor is beyond the great majority of 'em.

 

m

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For the past 16 years, I was the Youth Director and executive Director of a Miami synagogue. When they merged and moved to the other synagogue's building, their management team took over, so I'm either unemployed or retired, depending whether I look for a new job on any given day.

 

Before that, I was in business for myself for the previous 20 years, designing furniture, contracting the manufacture and selling wholesale across America.

 

Now, at 61, I'm not really sure what I want to do. I've gotten to do pretty much everything I ever wanted to do, including having been a news reader, disc jockey and professional golfer.

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Now, at 61, I'm not really sure what I want to do. I've gotten to do pretty much everything I ever wanted to do, including having been a news reader, disc jockey and professional golfer.

 

 

Not to mention a pretty good comedian!

 

I live in fear of becoming "retired".... I kind of like working. We're the same age, and I'd like to work at least another 5 years!

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Surfpup... the problem with those Middle School age kids to me is that they never get my puns and it seems metaphor is beyond the great majority of 'em.

 

m

 

Yes, one does have to ratchet it down a bit. I don't even get some of your puns! [biggrin]

By high-school they are more ready for the kind of thinking to which you refer. However,

they are much less ready if they have not had someone teaching them to think in middle

school. I see that as my job in a nutshell - teaching them to think thoroughly and

communicate clearly.

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Surfpup...

 

You're absolutely correct about the importance of elementary and middle school preparation for more multi-layered learning. Of course, some folks never catch on regardless.

 

You may get a kick out this one, btw. I was doing an 1868 living history thing for a group of retired teachers. Drove 'em nuts 'cuz they couldn't get me out of time/character.

 

Ever get into Eliot's "the Wasteland?" Mom even got me a copy of "the golden bough" to go along with it when I started asking lotza questions about it around age 12.

 

I had a strange upbringing with my Mom going back to school for more degrees in lit and my Dad going for a couple of degrees in philosophy. I got to sit quietly in the back of college classrooms. So I was reading some odd stuff from around age 10 and we'd talk about things. I think it ruined me for college, to be honest about it, and that's kinda sad for a "learning nut."

 

m

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Surfpup...

 

Ever get into Eliot's "the Wasteland?" Mom even got me a copy of "the golden bough" to go along with it when I started asking lotza questions about it around age 12.

m

 

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" was my favorite poem when I was 12. I still have a small volume

of Eliot's poems my mother bought me for Christmas that year. She was working on her Ph.D. in English

Literature at the time.

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Surf...

 

Ah, yes, the dialog between ego and id, eh? <grin> Rather depressing, really, when one considers the conclusion. And the "Inferno" quote opening it was revealing.

 

But this was all high school stuff for me. The spring term of my senior year we hadda do a pretty extensive paper on our favorite poet and express what's there... I never did figure that Pound was the better craftsman, though. Eliot stole the line from Dante, who used it referring to Arnaut Daniel, but then...

 

I had a couple of backchannel emails in 2010 with a near relative of the poet via a "history and philosophy" forum. Interesting.

 

From Dante, spoken by Daniel, a poet/court fool/songwriter? it strikes me well as the basis of songwriting from which all sorts of themes might emerge.

 

"I am Arnaut, who weeping and singing go;

Contrite I see the folly of the past,

And, joyous, I foresee the joy I hope for one day.

Therefore do I implore you, by that power

Which guides you to the summit of the stairs,

Remember my suffering, in the right time."

 

m

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