(01-25-2022 11:52 AM)gdunn Wrote:  I remember two a days when I got to high school on hot summer days... Guys would be dropping like flies. Coach would look at me and say why aren't you catching cramps or hurting. Told him I didn't know.

One of the guys said he's not putting out what I'm putting out. So the coach decided to play bull in the ring, and I was the bull the next day. After that we did all these other drills and he was on my tail making sure I was pushing hard. Again guys dropping like flies and I was still good.

He then said, son what did you do yesterday before and after practice. Well I got up and came here. Then I went to work where we built shade (I was old enough to have a real job, and I was working putting up awning at a high school) until 3. Then I went to the shop and unloaded the truck, and re-loaded for tomorrow. Left at 4 and got here so I could cool off, it's cooler here than at the shop. Practiced, then went home, cut grass and ran the weed eater for about 20 minutes. Showered, ate dinner, and went to bed.

He looked at the guy that said I hadn't been pushing.. You.. Coach I got up, came to practice, went home and played Playstation until afternoon.

Dunn, what did you eat and drink yesterday. Water, Gatorade, had a banana with a sandwich at lunch. Ate a snickers on the way to practice. We did chicken and rice last night with water and sweet tea.

You? Coach I had a burger from McDonald's. Drank cokes all day. For dinner we ordered pizza, why.

No reason.

From 12 I had 2 jobs until I was 15 when I had 3. Every day after school I put up freight and UPS shipments in a local warehouse, where I also swept and carried out trash. In the Summer we cranked the mill at 6:00 AM and shut down at 3:00PM with an hour for lunch at 11:00 AM. Then I put up freight and UPS and swept and took out trash. Then at 6:00 PM I cut, or lined off, or moved the posts on, or exterminated for mole crickets, or fertilized 3 grass tennis courts at the local country club and kept the putting green.

I made 17.50 a day at the sawmill. I got 2 bucks an hour at the warehouse. But I made 20 dollars a court at the Country Club no matter what was done and another 20 for the putting green and they provided the mowers and gas, pesticide and fertilizer. I made 3 times as much at the Country Club in an hour and a half as I did all day at the mill plus the warehouse. One was a family responsibility. The second permitted me to buy goods at cost. The third permitted my right to play tennis for free on the courts I kept. My cost was going off to train to keep grass courts and greens. The warehouse and Country Club job was year-round.

The money I made I saved as dating was cheap and gas was 27 cents a gallon and a six pack of beer was 2 bucks. I paid cash for my new wheels and cash for a mobile home which would see me through college when I sold it to my parents so my sister would have a place.

What I learned in those jobs prepared me for everything since. The first lesson every child should learn is how to work. Learn that and school is easy, respect is earned, and confidence is built. Learn it last and you are screwed. Only now some never learn it and that is why socialism is on the rise and public education only teaches our kids how to make excuses.

You and I were blessed to get a crash course in life before we had to tackle it on our own. But no testimonial will convince bull**** academics that labor is instructive and that it builds sound character because they only found importance in a book and tenure, and now the book has been replaced by a mobile device and they are twice as useless!

Experience gives us the context for applying education. Education without real experience has no context for application and will be forgotten. I have always favored internships for College Seniors and Graduate Students as application reinforces education.