I like this topic... "Jobs I Have Had"... and when that topic comes up, people usually talk about the best jobs they've had... but what always comes to mind for me first is the worst. To set the scene, I was 21, so not a teenager any longer. I should have known better. I was on my own in the city and was thrilled to have found a "good" job. Real Estate... yeah, I was on the fast track. Do I need to confess the rest? Okay, I will. This "dream job" of mine was working *EIGHTY* I kid you not, hours a week... oh, it gets better... I was paid on base salary, (is that the right term?) so the paychecks were for 40 hours. It's not like I had anything better to do with my time being new to the city and everything, but I mean, come on! Twelve hours a day Monday through Saturday and they were merciful and let me have a "short" 8 hour day on Sundays. Wasn't that thoughtful of them?!
It looks to me like you are punishing yourself for something wrong that you had done. Even for the young, rest if very important and working for more than 8 hours every day is not a good idea. Take note of the standard - 8 hours of work - because it is the optimum period of work for humans in our time. More than that is considered overtime work and it is not recommended to work overtime every day. In other words, that 80 hours a week is an abuse of your body.
Good thought, Corie, but that's not what it was in my case because I hadn't done anything wrong. I loved life... I loved living in the city... loved having my own apartment and making my own decisions. There wasn't anything out of place (at least in my way of thinking at the time.) So... not punishment for something I did wrong.. more like pure unadulterated stupidity. Well hey, gotta call a duck a duck, right?! Yes, rest is very important to humans of any age. That's something I know now very clearly. But at 21 we're invincible... who needs rest?! Rest is for OLD people! I am woman, hear me roar. The world is mine for the taking! Oh boy, I think I got hit with a dose of reality real fast. OHHHHH! I didn't finish the story before. After giving that place so much of my time and effort and loyalty, guess what happened when tax time came around? Found out they hadn't paid TAXES on the workers! What a horrible mess. Then they closed down because of that and we (the few workers that were employed there) had trouble getting unemployment checks because of the tax mess. It did finally resolve and I got 16 or 17 checks all at once, but... it was a rough ride!
That's my point - humans need rest and not just rest but ample rest to give the body time to recover from the fatigue. My parents used to tell my brothers not to abuse their bodies because my brothers would be out in the streets the whole day and they still have the energy to play basketball after dinner. And although they only do it during summer vacations, their bodies were somehow abused with excessive physical activities. My 3 brothers are now gone, they were all hit by ailments - all of them succumbed to cardiac arrest from complications of other diseases like severe arthritis.
Oh @Corie Henson , I'm so very sorry to hear this! How difficult it must be to lose siblings. I have three brothers, too... all younger than I am, but not by very much since all five of us (a sister included) were born within 9.5 years of each other.
I still work 11 hours a day Corie..sometimes 12., I'm supposed to get a lunch hour because I'm not paid for my lunch but I very rarely manage to fit it in, so the company gets an hour out of me for free every day.......my husband works 15 hours 5 but most often 6 days a week...we don't have a choice..it's do it or lose our jobs so we just carry on trudging along working long hard days!!
Pardon me but I really cannot come to terms with such very long working hours. Last Saturday we were in Ocean Park in Subic Bay, that's a them park like Sea World. It was a trip which my husband prepared for his brother who is on vacation here in the Philippines with his family. They were talking of working overtime since my husband's brother is a caregiver with an attractive overtime rate. But my brother said to his brother - money is not all there is to it. At 64 years old, that brother is not young anymore and working long hours may damage his health. Our body needs ample rest and I agree to that.
I agree too Corie I couldn't agree more...however, this is not about overtime which my husband and I do for extra money...these are our standard contracted hours!! It's common practice to have to work these hours... There are hardly any Trade unions to protect workers rights these days....so if you don't like having to work these hours there's thousands of people lined up ready to take your place. My husband is much worse than me working 15 hour days.....I at least get to work from home one sometimes 2 days a week, and I get 2 days off a week as standard ...but it worries me his days are soo long still at 55 years old and he has a 40 mile round trip commute as well... his one saving grace I hope is that he's not someone who gets stressed easily..and at least once a year we get away on holiday for a couple of weeks abroad...and away from all the phones and emails that constantly dog our working days!!
I think a lot of this has to do with how much we like or dislike our work. At least that's how it was for me. I tell my 80-hour a week story and complain about being so "young and dumb" but that's because of accepting a 40 hour paycheck for 80 hours worked. The other side of the story is that I *loved* my real estate work... I didn't mind what I was doing, and I didn't mind that I was there so long. I was new to the city and although I could have *found* many things to do, I truly didn't mind being at the office. The problem is that I should have had a paycheck to reflect my hours worked. I've often heard that once someone stops being passionate about their work and starts the "rocking chair mode", things start going downhill fast. I'm pretty confident in saying that even at my age today, I would enjoy those 80 hour weeks at a place I love working... but I'd need to demand 80 hours of pay. @Corie Henson @Holly Saunders
I think everyone should work longer than just the so called standard 8 hour day. Not necessarily at a job, but for themselves. I've known many people who work 8 hours and then go home and sit on their butt' when they could be growing a garden or something to exercise the mind and body plus added benefit of accomplishing something. People who don't stay active usually will suffer health problems sooner or later.
Exactly, @Sheldon Scott ! I feel this way, too... that "rocking chair saying" really is true and I've heard it often. And I also have seen a lot of people come out of retirement very soon after they started it, so they could keep active. It really does make a difference. I don't think that staying active means intense physical labor, of course, as we get older, but "work" of some kind, absolutely. I have this great fear of "withering" if I ever stop working and/or being active, ya know?
That's my fear too @Mari North , the fear of not having anything to do, and growing old fast. .... When and if I do decide to give up work for whatever reason...then I will certainly use some of my time volunteering at something..anything, not only to keep me mentally and physically active but also to enjoy the company of people too..
I agree to that rocking chair mode. Once you reitire from doing your usual work then you might suffer an atrophy that you would become weak. But that's not what I meant with the overworked issue. Just to have an ample rest so the body can have a chance to recharge. My husband's uncle who was a health buff was hit by a stroke at age 72. We were all surprised because with his muscles and utmost concern for his health how in the world could stroke hit him. He had been fatigued, extreme fatigue and lack of sleep when his son died. He handled the wake so he was not able to get a good sleep for 3 nights and he would run errands and serve food to the guests. That was really sad.
Back in 1978 I got a waitressing job that all the locals girls tried for at a cafe that only served breakfast and lunch. It was the only eating place other than fast food joints in the middle of an oil production refineries area. I worked from 4:30 am. to 1:30 pm. Monday through Friday. When I say I worked I really mean it was at a dead run all day long. They paid me not one red cent! But I never went home without with less than $125. a day. In '78 that was a lot of money for a woman to make. I was happy to work at that cafe for $0.