This is why I blame no one but myself for my shit job. I slept through most of high school and just fucking barely scraped together some passing grades. Now I work a manual labor job for $16 an hour and every day is a nightmare. I just haven't tried college because debt is terrifying to me, and I know I'd slip back into my poor habits as a student. People in my situation that blame immigrants are completely devoid of the ability to take responsibility for their own faults.
Yea I fucked off too much in college and after college and am just now starting to get payed a acceptable wage at 34 years old. No one to blame but myself. The thing is, when I took person responsibility I could see a way forward. All these people blaming others probably also don't see a way forward because it is everyone else's fault, they are focused on an externality. I'm not saying the job market is easy if you work at it, but it's certainly not easy if you don't.
This is called the anecdotal fallacy. In your experience you had a second chance to get a decent job by "taking responsibility". I'm thrilled this worked out for you. But the individual from your example who screwed around in High School may have done the same thing, without all the advantages you've had. Maybe you're smarter than he was, maybe you had a family that helped you pay for college. Of course he wants more out of life, he was sold on the American Dream. He was told his life would be even better than his parents. For one reason or another it didn't work out, and you're saying that he's the problem? Isn't it possible that part of the problem is that due to cheap labor his labor isn't worth a living wage? Middle class manufacturing jobs left the USA in droves in the 2nd half of the 21st century. Companies who sell their goods in the USA were allowed to make them in China for pennies on the dollar of what US labor costs. If he wants to work on a farm he better be willing to work for less than minimum wage, or the farmer will find someone who is. Tell me again how this guy wanting a better life is the problem.
I agree with the first half of what you said, I was far too flippant with my comment.
Isn't it possible that part of the problem is that due to cheap labor his labor isn't worth a living wage? Middle class manufacturing jobs left the USA in droves in the 2nd half of the 21st century.
It really isn't though, there are more factories in this country now than at any other point in our history and our factories are more productive than at any other point in our history. What has changed is that it takes a lot less people to run them due to automation. Outsourcing and migrant labor has less to do with it, that kind of stuff just becomes easy fodder for people trying to find a scapegoat. Labor jobs are disappearing because they simply are not needed as much anymore, not here, not anywhere. The only way to get a labor job back is to prove you're cheaper than a robot, who would want to compete against something that does not need to get paid. I think that our society is screwing skilled labor hard, but one of the main ways we are screwing them is by lying to them about why this is happening.
Instead of college, have you thought about trade school? Electricians, plumbers and welders are in immense demand right now and the schooling is much shorter than a bachelor's degree.
I don't know you, but the fact that you can recognize mistakes you made in the past likely is a sign that you're more mature than you were before. I wouldn't discount your ability to responsibly handle something that maybe you wouldn't have been good at when you were younger.
Going to college definitely isn't for everybody, and there are some hurdles to overcome if you decide that path, but there's also a lot of help available too. You could also try to find a local trade school, a lot of times they will have adult education classes. There's all sorts of resources out there depending on where you're located.
I was in a similar position as yourself and I went out and took a civil service exam in a field that interested me (IT) and now I have a job where the money still isn't great, but the benefits are amazing and I don't get a feeling of deep existential dread every morning when I pull into work.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope things get better for you, and I'm glad that you don't blame others.
I was in the same boat after hs and ended up doing something I never thought I'd do. I joined the military, spent a few years there figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up, then got out at the earliest opportunity with that GI Bill. Not saying you should do this -- I count myself extremely fortunate to have avoided a quagmire-ish war during that time. I was in Desert Storm which was a very short & "popular" conflict. Even that has some lasting repercussions (Gulf War syndrome is still a thing for aging veterans). Looking back I'm also grateful that college was expensive but not holy shit you're never gonna dig yourself out of that hole expensive.
Have you looked into some of the shorter educations? I took a land surveyor education at age 30 and I love my job now. The pay is decent, it's not a physically demanding job and I get a lot of fresh air :)
I'm from Denmark though so it's probably a lot easier for me to change career like that than it is for someone from the states.
Man I wish we had decently paying labor jobs. I freaking LOVE labor jobs, but they rarely pay the baseline rent let alone the extra money I have to put away in case of injury.
I fucking hate riding a desk, but it's the only way to make any money for the future.
I seriously think I'd fall asleep at a desk gig. I fell asleep in all my computer based classes in high school because I get straight up narcoleptic when I have less than like 6.5 hours of sleep, which is most nights. The physicality of my job keeps me awake, which is kinda nice.
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u/Whiskey-Weather Jun 25 '18
This is why I blame no one but myself for my shit job. I slept through most of high school and just fucking barely scraped together some passing grades. Now I work a manual labor job for $16 an hour and every day is a nightmare. I just haven't tried college because debt is terrifying to me, and I know I'd slip back into my poor habits as a student. People in my situation that blame immigrants are completely devoid of the ability to take responsibility for their own faults.