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Talked to my neighbor who's a plumber and now I'm rethinking my whole office job path
I was complaining about my weekly team meeting yesterday, and he just said, 'At least you don't have to crawl under a sink at 9 PM on a Tuesday.' He wasn't even mad about it, just stated it as a fact. It hit me that his work is done when he clocks out, and mine just follows me home on my phone. I've been chasing a 'better' job for so long, but what if better just means leaving it at the door? Has anyone else had a simple chat that made you question your whole career direction?
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keith_bennett3mo ago
Man, you just nailed something I've been chewing on for years. My buddy is an electrician and he has the same vibe, his tools are in the van and his brain is off the clock. My laptop feels glued to my hand, and the emails never stop. That plumber gave you a real gift with that line, it cuts right to the chase. We get sold this idea of a fancy job being the goal, but peace of mind after five o'clock is a way bigger deal.
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foster.jordan3mo ago
That peace of mind thing can feel pretty empty without the paycheck though.
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the_rowan1mo ago
Yeah, there's a whole book about this idea called "Shop Class as Soulcraft." The writer talks about how hands-on work gives you a clear line between job and life, and you can see the real results of what you did that day. It's the opposite of sending emails into a void that just creates more emails. That plumber's simple fact about his sink is a huge thing we trade away for a desk.
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