Need a job?

 

The other day, I met an old (very wealthy) friend for coffee, who owns several businesses here in the valley. It was good to simply sit and talk with him after the pandemic eases its grip on us.

As we talked about family and how we each coped with the quanatine over the last year, when he commented about his need for employees in his businesses. "I can't get anyone to work. They all got Covid relief and unemployment checks, and now they would much rather sit on their asses at home and collect the checks than work an honest day's work. I pay good salaries Harrold, but they want to be hand fed while us business owners pay their bills through taxes. If the government would open the borders to people that REALLY want to work, I'd be happy. Those people don't mind flipping burgers or pounding nails. They just want to work." 

Many industries feel the same. Good help is hard to find. But there are so many migrants wanting  to work and can't because of immigration laws, which are outdated and in many cases wrong. Our country was built on immigrating people from other countries, starting with the Pilgrims, the Irish, jews, Hispanic, Germans, Orientials, etc. No one in this country (except for Native Americans) have original roots in this country. WE ARE ALL IMMIGRANTS.

Do you realize that 90% of the US food is is harvested by migrant workers, mostly Hispanic, but some traveling white workers. You ask, WHY? Because most folks do not want to work 12 hour days, bent over digging up onions, or climbing into trees picking apples, or chopping lettuce and watermelon from the ground. It's hard work, but they will do it if they can get into the country. Yes they would pay income taxes, and yes they would buy items in the stores, and yes they would rent an apartment, which contributes to the economy...like you do.

I understand how ranchers and farmers get mad at migrants breaking down fences and littering there property while working their way North to find work and freedom from aggression of their government. I would get mad too. But building a steel wall is NOT the answer to immigration. I do not have the ultimate answer, but, to me it seems if the government would make it easier for migrant workers to work here because they don't have a problem doing the dirty jobs we don't want to do. They are NOT stealing jobs. And, give them a path to citizenship if they want to be a citizen, and possibility of making a better life for themselves and their families.

Of course there are drug dealers and murders (as our former president insisted) who slip through the loopholes. And if you believe every immigrate is bad, you are stupid. I am sorry.

This country that I love so much, has an inbred problem with 'helping/loving thy neighbor' and  compromising. Especially our legislative branch. If it is not their way, it isn't going to happen. Unfortunately some of us have picked that up too. If people want to work, let them, but they should pay taxes and do their duties as temporary residents like we all do ... or, most of us do.

Enough of a soap box talk. Lastly, my heart and prayers go out to the victims of the Florida's  Dade County apartment building collapse a few days ago. Tragic and horrifying from the families of the victims.My thoughts are with you all.

Focus and Progress

"Don't focus on a place you DON'T want to be, focus on a place you DO want to be." - Tim Allen, comedian.  Good advice.

The other part is progress. Looking back at the progress we all have made shows the people who got us there were truly focused on the place they wanted to bring us to. Some progress was by accident, and other progress was from an offshoot of the original plan. Like the search for Radar brought us the microwave ovens. And the transistor brought us away from tubes to modern electronics. And we all know where that brought us, computers, cell phones and Xbox. Maybe we should stayed with tubes.

Medicines progressed because of focused scientists who developed so many vaccines and medicines which means we live longer than our great-grandparents by decades. Polio, Tuberculosis, Whooping cough and other diseases are mostly wiped out because of focused researchers. Today Covid 19 has been slowed that we can now get out and semi-enjoy our lives again.One nurse realized that taking newborn babies outside into the sunlight helped stop Jaundice. The accidents were like a night worker forgot to turn off the mixing machine at Proctor and Gamble and air bubbles mixed in more than needed which created "Ivory Soap", the bar soap that floats? "Corn Flakes" was left in the oven too long which made them crisper, and still a hit after over 100 years.

Moderna came out with the Covid vaccine, which they had been researching for years before the outbreak, is now reaching a combination flu and Covid vaccine and now researching ways to stop many types of cancer too. Their focus has progressed and advanced medical research tremendously in just a few years. Wouldn't it be great if  a cure for cancer and heart disease could be found by just getting a shot. heck, I'd take two in each arm if it helped.

My point is your focus on that place you want to be is important to you and others. Who knows, you maybe the next Dr. Salk or Thomas Edison or the thousands of people who never made the front page news. You could be one. 

Being focused brings on progress even if it takes 10,000 tries to get to that place you want to be. And it may take 10,000 tries. You just can not quit.

What are you passionate about?

 That's a broad subject isn't it? Are you passionate about your family and loved ones? Of course. Are you passionate about your job or profession? How about politics? World affairs? Dogs, cats, animals in general? Human rights? Global warming? We all have a passion about something, or maybe many things. Sometimes that passion can interfere with other things or people in your life. That is when the passion becomes an obsession and has been known to kill friendships, jobs, and marriages. Of course, if your partner, boss or friend has the same passion as yours, things go great.

Then there is the passion that gets really expensive. You feed your passion with cash. Those type of passions we need to stay away from. All passion have a limit to how much time, money and effort you put into it. As my Mother told me once, "Too much of  anything will hurt you.". I replied, "That can't be true about ice cream." But she is right in some cases. 

I have had several passions in my life. Probably my first was cars. Then as I got older, I began to see prejudice for people of color. Even later when I got on the fire department, I began collecting the history of our department and established an Archives to store and preserve it. Years later, after seeing so many deceased fire department retirees buried with no final tribute for their services, I bought a fire truck and with the help of other retirees we modified it into a hearst for them. It's called a "Caisson". I guess, sometimes, I can not understand why a passion I have are not shared by others, especially if it serves a certain group in honor and respect. But I refuse to stop being passionate about it.

And of course I have always had a passion for family, friends, God, our country, and yes, I still have a passion for cars.

Passion is defined as: A strong feeling or emotion. An object of someone's love, liking or desire. So yes we all have those. 

I also have a passion of doing the right thing when I see a need for the greater good. Even if I get kicked for it. I believe we all should DO THE RIGHT THING for anyone or group if it is needed. Sometimes people do not realize how much they need something until some hair-brain person like me introduces them to his or her passion to do it. And if it is not needed, then you stop and rethink your idea. Not every idea is a great idea. But when they are, push forward.

So the bottom line is, Yes, I am passionate about certain things and I do what I think should done for the greater good, without hurting anyone. I hope you do too. Do the right thing for others, be passionate about your believes and gather same thinkers to help you. But don't eat too much ice cream, you'll get a belly-ache. 

Let me know what your passions are. I am interested in hearing. Take care.