10 The Job is the Job

Week 10 of 2024: Scrolling TikTok a few weeks ago, I heard American Record Producer, Rick Ruben say, “the Job is the Job. And that’s OK.” It’s something that I have been trying to teach my son based on my experiences. As creatives, it’s very easy to feel like the job is draining you and you only want to do the things you are passionate about. I needed him to understand that as a young man new to the work force, you need a job. It is necessary to make ends meet. It’s needed to fund goals and dreams, whether that’s college or starting his own business. All the while there are countless self-prescribed gurus advising them to “JUMP” and follow their dreams, leading so many of our youth astray. So they look for happiness and fulfillment in a job. I’ve watched his feelings get hurt when he comes home after some experience that teaches him, that the job is just the job. It doesn’t exist to make him happy. He should find that on his own outside of his work. Especially when just entering the work force, the job can’t always be about doing what you love for the company you love the most. There is a process to get there. I had some great jobs, a few horrible jobs, some with good bosses and some with very difficult bosses, but once I got a family and responsibilities, I never gave myself an excuse to quit. In most cases of working-class people, the job is truly …just the job. I found creative ways to find purpose in life outside of my job. I’ve always had my own business. I teach him that there is always “side” work for a highly skilled creative person. There are endless opportunities that go as far as your imagination will allow. All we have to do is stay focused, work hard, and make daily movements towards our personal and work goals.