I don't talk about my day job much in my blog, for a variety of reasons. But today I'm grateful for it. Basically, I'm paid to play with toys for a living.
Not these kind, though. I work in Information Technology. I've been various things over the years, a trainer, a help desk tech (absolutely the most thankless job in technology), a network administrator (second worst), a technical writer, and a developer.
All of which essentially have this same one thing in common: I'm paid to play with toys for a living.
I love computers. I think they're amazing tools. I know that the work I do with and on them isn't trivial either.
But I will say I'm extraordinarily grateful to do this sort of work.
Years ago I used to work for this very slick salesman, M. He was one of the Very Big Dogs at the consulting firm I worked for.
He told me a story about appreciating the work we do. One wet, cold, grey, wintry day he was driving into our office. He was driving his very expensive car, wearing a very expensive suit. He was talking on his car phone, complaining to another Very Big Dog about the difficult day ahead of him, filled with meetings and sales calls, and all sorts of troublesome things.
Not that guy, but you get the idea
He pulled up to a red light, where this utility worker in a bright colored jumpsuit, was in a hole in the road, working on some electrical something as he stood in about three feet of cold, muddy water.
As M. sat at the light, he watched the man work. Sparks flew out of whatever he was working on. A car came from the opposite direction, splashing dirty slush all over the guy, who sighed, wiped his face with his arm, and kept working.
After M. saw that, he said he would never complain about anything about his job ever again.
I feel much the same. I'm not going to tell you that my job doesn't have its fair share of frustrations and annoyances. But when I get really grouchy about them I remember that story, and find myself grateful that no matter what sort of hole I'm in at work, that it's not a literal one like that guy.