A while ago I met a lovely fireman by the name of Russell. While I must confess to thinking all firemen are lovely, (they are at the very least given the benefit of loveliness until asshole behaviour proves otherwise) he was – noble profession aside – a very decent sort of bloke who proved to be a very interesting conversation companion. Since sitting at a desk all day long pondering the conundrums of life is just about as antithetical to the job of a fireman as one can get, I found myself asking him a lot of questions about his work. I have a fascination with occupations that – let’s just be frank here – actually make a difference in the world.
Russell the Fireman was kind and generous enough to propose that ‘all jobs add value’ to the world. I appreciated his open-hearted assertion, aimed at making those of us writers of the world feel something other than intellectual wankers. But I had to disagree: what about real estate agents? He conceded. Lawyers? He shrugged. Parking rangers? Tobacco manufacturers? By now I had him on my side.
‘You actually get to stop fires and save peoples’ lives,’ I asserted, as if he didn’t already know that. ‘Sometimes,’ he said, ‘but a lot of the time we sit around waiting and watching tv.’ I imagine being a fireman could get boring at times, where one might be forced for days on end when arsonists are having a quiet week, to watch endless daytime tv and listen to to Dr Phil. But even if Russell and all his other firemen friends watched Jerry Springer and ate donuts all day every day, and only ONCE, actually saved someone’s earthly possessions or their lives – I reckon that would be enough to disqualify them in perpetuity from being inscribed in the Book of Oxygen Thieves. Firemen are not oxygen thieves. Neither are nurses, teachers (especially those who work in public schools), electricians, medical researchers, plumbers, garbos and all those people who work in non-profit organizations, trying to get food and clean water to the third world.
Albert Einstein is reputed to have said that if he had his life over, he would choose to be a plumber. Einstein obviously understood that the mysteries of the universe are insignificant when you have a blocked toilet.
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You know, some people have to work what you refer to as a "meaningless" job so they can support their families. I don't think pulling them down for doing that is the best thing to be doing. Disappointed.
same here! I understand what you're trying to say Joanne, but I think its a little simplistic to sort jobs into those that "add value" and those that are "oxygen thieves". I admit that people who work in teaching, nursing etc are bloody brilliant but I expected a bit more from Mamamia which always tries to promote acceptance and break stereotypes.