Thanks for this piece. As someone who has indeed washed dishes for a living, mostly enjoyed it and certainly took pride in it I really appreciated reading this in all of its complexity.
Thanks @d.w. , and thank you for restacking, too. I elaborated in my reply in the post’s Comments, but honoring the complexity of work and working life is a big part of Heigh Ho’s raison d'etre.
Thanks, d.w. "Complexity" is a good way to describe the picture these dishwashers' comments paint. I guess it's part of why I chose not to propose any broad conclusions, i.e. "So, from these comments we can see that dishwashers feel [this way or that way]." 1) The folks who contributed deserve to have their comments speak for themselves without me filtering 'em through my own biases 2) Relatedly, they are, indeed, complex, and me trying to distill them into some simple inferences would trivialize their experience as dishwashers and as humans.
I guess stereotyping, oversimplifying, and generalizing about experience of any and all workers is just the kind of thing that irritates me about a lot of work-related writing. Honoring the complexity of work experience is, now that you have me thinking about it, a big part of why I publish Heigh Ho.
(So thank you for helping me, with one word, straighten myself out!)
I met one person who loved their job so much he couldn't believe he was getting paid for doing it. He was a high school drama teacher.
Fascinating to see what these people who wash dishes for a living have to say about this.
Otherwise I know very few people who find their jobs a source of pleasure and meaning.
The one job I had that was meaningful to me was a wellness coordinator for an environmental organization. It was voluntary, so I didn't get paid, but you know how activists are...
I designed and implemented the whole thing, and still firmly believe that wellness and self care are crucial parts of activism.
You've given me a lot to reflect on, Diana. I feel like I *do* know a lot of people whose job is a source of pleasure and meaning. Maybe more meaning than pleasure. Elsewhere, I've written about my Dad, from a much older generation, who I don't think ever thought about the meaning of his work (he worked in discount department stores as a salesman and eventually manager). In fact, though there's some disagreement about when this happened, the search for meaning in our work is a relatively recent phenomenon and — to the point of Derek Thompson's quote in the article — a set-up for malaise.
I'm glad you found meaning in your job as a wellness coordinator. I know a ton of wellness coordinators who are thriving, and a ton who feel burned out. In your case, I can't help but wonder whether it would have been as satisfying if it was a paid position, with all that entails in terms of relationships, power dynamics, autonomy, etc.
Yes, I would have loved it if it was a paid position. But you know how it is with grassroots organizations sometimes. Interesting that searching for meaning through work is a setup for malaise. I think you're right.
Fascinating, Bob. Reading between the lines it seems there are a handful of dishwashers who have found a good place to work and their work is valued -- but more who aren't treated well and may want to look into other places and/or lines of work. Not everyone has a choice, but many do and sometimes don't explore other options, for whatever reason. Staying in a job you don't like and/or aren't valued for a long time isn't a good way to spend 1/3 of your life.
Thanks, Dean. "Fascinating" is the most gratifying feedback ever.
It's hard for me to discern, based on these dishwashers' comments, their perception and their reality around choice. I was tempted to invite one or more to be interviewed, but chose not to go down that road at this point. Maybe at a later date — if not with dishwashers, then some other jobholders.
What a great opener for your podcast, Bob. All of it so interesting and great to hear your voice highlight the main points. Your closing of how workers voices are usually absent from what we hear about great jobs you love..... As a healthcare writer, the same can be said about the absent voice of patients and insurance plan members when policies are being created. Like dishwashers, I doubt seriously if seniors had been at the ACA table or the Medicare and Medicaid tables that vision, dental, hearing, and long-term care would have been completely left out.
As an aside, a good friend in college (back in the day) was so excited that the pizza joint he worked in as a dishwasher during the summer had bought thick rubber mats for him to stand on.
Thanks for the feedback about the podcast, Barbara. Those anti-fatigue mats are always appreciated by workers who stand throughout their day or shift. We used to give them out even to office workers who were adopting sit-stand desks.
Yup, vision, dental, hearing, and LTC are tragic omissions from Medicare. As for seniors at the ACA table... Seniors do allegedly have a powerful lobby in AARP. Do you think they have conflicts of interest or are generally ineffective? I'm not sure, but my impression was that trying to get more out of ACA risked dooming it to defeat.
Hi Bob! This essay is like "Dirty Jobs" (a TV show), but for writing. :) It honors and listens, with open eyes and ears, to those doing non-office labor. Bravo!
Do you think the rise of "finding your passion" stems from us/society trying to justify the incredible costs and time required for higher education? When did the phrase start in the mainstream?
Or is this like the cultural touchpoint of "buying a house is the American dream," to the point that we stopped needing the marketing because we said it to ourselves? (Until the last 10 years, where this notion is getting pushback.)
My guess is universities and student loan shops are aware the Baby Boomer generation is going to transition a trillion or two dollars in generational transfers via estate transactions over this and the next decades?
I say it is marketing! Or am I being too capitalistic, lol.
Mmerikani, thank you so much for your kind words! "It honors and listens, with open eyes and ears..." Ooooh. Yes! That is exactly what I sought to do and hoped readers would do, as well.
The origin of "find your passion" is probably a bit more than I can unpack here, especially as I'm still working it out. Derek Thompson, who I quote in the post, attributes it largely to the decline of religion and ritual in our society. Others have written about how there was no need to find your passion in your work before the industrial revolution.
I'm not saying this is a factor — and you may feel some sorta way about this — but I think the end of the US military draft may have had broader psychosocial consequences than we give it credit for. I'm not sure. I imagine some of this *may* tie in to your current reading of "Man's Search for Meaning."
2 books at the top of my reading list are: "The Good Enough Job — Reclaiming Life from Work" and "The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality." I'm a slow reader, so it'll take me a long time to get through them, but when I do I'm sure I'll be sharing more thoughts on this topic in Heigh Ho. :)
For the end of the military draft and its psychosocial (what a great word!) effects, are you thinking the draft / dedication to country provided purpose and meaning? And without it we went individual and were left to self-focus? Curious what you see as it's implications....
Now you're making me think something through, Mmerkani, and that's always a risky proposition. To be honest, I don't want to elaborate too much because it was really just a vague notion I toyed with fleetingly. I don't want to start talking myself into an opinion I don't really hold (sounds weird, but happens to me frequently). Also, I definitely wouldn't want to come off as if I'm advocating a draft — which I certainly wouldn't do. Also, there's the factor that a draft would be age-limited, so I don't know what the case would be for it resolving a sense of purpose for those beyond draft age.
I mean, I *do* suppose that, in a normal, healthy country, some sort of mandatory service could support young adults who struggle with an absence of purpose. But I don't know. Fundamentally, I'm inclined to believe that autonomy is an essential element of wellbeing.
While that's really all I can say about this topic, I'd certainly welcome any words of wisdom you may have about it.
Thanks for this piece. As someone who has indeed washed dishes for a living, mostly enjoyed it and certainly took pride in it I really appreciated reading this in all of its complexity.
Thanks @d.w. , and thank you for restacking, too. I elaborated in my reply in the post’s Comments, but honoring the complexity of work and working life is a big part of Heigh Ho’s raison d'etre.
Thanks, d.w. "Complexity" is a good way to describe the picture these dishwashers' comments paint. I guess it's part of why I chose not to propose any broad conclusions, i.e. "So, from these comments we can see that dishwashers feel [this way or that way]." 1) The folks who contributed deserve to have their comments speak for themselves without me filtering 'em through my own biases 2) Relatedly, they are, indeed, complex, and me trying to distill them into some simple inferences would trivialize their experience as dishwashers and as humans.
I guess stereotyping, oversimplifying, and generalizing about experience of any and all workers is just the kind of thing that irritates me about a lot of work-related writing. Honoring the complexity of work experience is, now that you have me thinking about it, a big part of why I publish Heigh Ho.
(So thank you for helping me, with one word, straighten myself out!)
This is a great perspective on your written work and makes a lot of sense.
I met one person who loved their job so much he couldn't believe he was getting paid for doing it. He was a high school drama teacher.
Fascinating to see what these people who wash dishes for a living have to say about this.
Otherwise I know very few people who find their jobs a source of pleasure and meaning.
The one job I had that was meaningful to me was a wellness coordinator for an environmental organization. It was voluntary, so I didn't get paid, but you know how activists are...
I designed and implemented the whole thing, and still firmly believe that wellness and self care are crucial parts of activism.
You've given me a lot to reflect on, Diana. I feel like I *do* know a lot of people whose job is a source of pleasure and meaning. Maybe more meaning than pleasure. Elsewhere, I've written about my Dad, from a much older generation, who I don't think ever thought about the meaning of his work (he worked in discount department stores as a salesman and eventually manager). In fact, though there's some disagreement about when this happened, the search for meaning in our work is a relatively recent phenomenon and — to the point of Derek Thompson's quote in the article — a set-up for malaise.
I'm glad you found meaning in your job as a wellness coordinator. I know a ton of wellness coordinators who are thriving, and a ton who feel burned out. In your case, I can't help but wonder whether it would have been as satisfying if it was a paid position, with all that entails in terms of relationships, power dynamics, autonomy, etc.
Yes, I would have loved it if it was a paid position. But you know how it is with grassroots organizations sometimes. Interesting that searching for meaning through work is a setup for malaise. I think you're right.
Fascinating, Bob. Reading between the lines it seems there are a handful of dishwashers who have found a good place to work and their work is valued -- but more who aren't treated well and may want to look into other places and/or lines of work. Not everyone has a choice, but many do and sometimes don't explore other options, for whatever reason. Staying in a job you don't like and/or aren't valued for a long time isn't a good way to spend 1/3 of your life.
Thanks, Dean. "Fascinating" is the most gratifying feedback ever.
It's hard for me to discern, based on these dishwashers' comments, their perception and their reality around choice. I was tempted to invite one or more to be interviewed, but chose not to go down that road at this point. Maybe at a later date — if not with dishwashers, then some other jobholders.
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.
What a great opener for your podcast, Bob. All of it so interesting and great to hear your voice highlight the main points. Your closing of how workers voices are usually absent from what we hear about great jobs you love..... As a healthcare writer, the same can be said about the absent voice of patients and insurance plan members when policies are being created. Like dishwashers, I doubt seriously if seniors had been at the ACA table or the Medicare and Medicaid tables that vision, dental, hearing, and long-term care would have been completely left out.
As an aside, a good friend in college (back in the day) was so excited that the pizza joint he worked in as a dishwasher during the summer had bought thick rubber mats for him to stand on.
Thanks for the feedback about the podcast, Barbara. Those anti-fatigue mats are always appreciated by workers who stand throughout their day or shift. We used to give them out even to office workers who were adopting sit-stand desks.
Yup, vision, dental, hearing, and LTC are tragic omissions from Medicare. As for seniors at the ACA table... Seniors do allegedly have a powerful lobby in AARP. Do you think they have conflicts of interest or are generally ineffective? I'm not sure, but my impression was that trying to get more out of ACA risked dooming it to defeat.
Hi Bob! This essay is like "Dirty Jobs" (a TV show), but for writing. :) It honors and listens, with open eyes and ears, to those doing non-office labor. Bravo!
Do you think the rise of "finding your passion" stems from us/society trying to justify the incredible costs and time required for higher education? When did the phrase start in the mainstream?
Or is this like the cultural touchpoint of "buying a house is the American dream," to the point that we stopped needing the marketing because we said it to ourselves? (Until the last 10 years, where this notion is getting pushback.)
My guess is universities and student loan shops are aware the Baby Boomer generation is going to transition a trillion or two dollars in generational transfers via estate transactions over this and the next decades?
I say it is marketing! Or am I being too capitalistic, lol.
Mmerikani, thank you so much for your kind words! "It honors and listens, with open eyes and ears..." Ooooh. Yes! That is exactly what I sought to do and hoped readers would do, as well.
The origin of "find your passion" is probably a bit more than I can unpack here, especially as I'm still working it out. Derek Thompson, who I quote in the post, attributes it largely to the decline of religion and ritual in our society. Others have written about how there was no need to find your passion in your work before the industrial revolution.
I'm not saying this is a factor — and you may feel some sorta way about this — but I think the end of the US military draft may have had broader psychosocial consequences than we give it credit for. I'm not sure. I imagine some of this *may* tie in to your current reading of "Man's Search for Meaning."
2 books at the top of my reading list are: "The Good Enough Job — Reclaiming Life from Work" and "The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality." I'm a slow reader, so it'll take me a long time to get through them, but when I do I'm sure I'll be sharing more thoughts on this topic in Heigh Ho. :)
Hi Bob!
For the end of the military draft and its psychosocial (what a great word!) effects, are you thinking the draft / dedication to country provided purpose and meaning? And without it we went individual and were left to self-focus? Curious what you see as it's implications....
Happy day! Mmerikani
Now you're making me think something through, Mmerkani, and that's always a risky proposition. To be honest, I don't want to elaborate too much because it was really just a vague notion I toyed with fleetingly. I don't want to start talking myself into an opinion I don't really hold (sounds weird, but happens to me frequently). Also, I definitely wouldn't want to come off as if I'm advocating a draft — which I certainly wouldn't do. Also, there's the factor that a draft would be age-limited, so I don't know what the case would be for it resolving a sense of purpose for those beyond draft age.
I mean, I *do* suppose that, in a normal, healthy country, some sort of mandatory service could support young adults who struggle with an absence of purpose. But I don't know. Fundamentally, I'm inclined to believe that autonomy is an essential element of wellbeing.
While that's really all I can say about this topic, I'd certainly welcome any words of wisdom you may have about it.