Your dad told Nana and me that you went out for a slushy after the game several weeks ago with a girl from your school. She drove, so I know she’s at least sixteen. Good for you. I hope you had a good time. We both know that you’ve been interested in girls for some time, but I believe that may be the first time you went somewhere other than a school event. That’s a big step.
It sounds like you have your eye on your first summer job – working on a golf course. Please check to see if you get any perks like having your grandfather play for free. That would be great! I worked on a golf course in Kalamazoo for two summers while I was in college. It was a good job. If you end up working there, perhaps we can compare notes on how things used to be done and how they do them now.
With those things in mind, I thought I’d offer a few tips on how best to deal with important issues that may come your way. Some apply directly to girls. Some are universal.
If you are driving in a car with a girl and she says, “We should go that way.”, she means that you should turn left, right, or completely in a reverse direction. “That way” means any direction other than the direction you have chosen. It’s a universal term that has multiple meanings. Don’t worry, if you should select a “way” other than the “that way” she meant, she’ll let you know.
I know you don’t have your license yet, so you’ll be at the mercy of the girl driver. That’s OK. Any mistakes she makes will be on her.
When you take driver’s education this summer you may wish to discuss this with your instructor, but only if you have a male teacher. Female instructors may have a different point of view.
When you arrive at work and your boss says, “We’re going to …. today.” He means “you”. Whenever a boss says “we”, he means “you”. It’s his (or her) job to think of things for you to do. Your boss’s contribution is the “thinking” part. Some day, when you become a boss, you’ll use the word “we” in the same manner. It sounds like a simple concept, but it’s not. You’ll learn more about it as you get more involved in the process.
I worked on both ends of the “we” and “you”. Sometimes I did the actual work, and other times I was in charge of thinking of things that needed to be done. Both can be fun and rewarding. Some people like being the boss and if you end up there one day, remember this. Listen more than you speak. Learn from those around you. You can’t know everything, so you must rely on others much of the time. Share your successes and take the heat for any failures. In the end, you’re responsible for everyone.
My dad wasn’t much older than you when he entered the workforce. He quit school after the eight grade. Not long after that he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, better known as the CCCs. He did a variety of things throughout northern Michigan. The work was all manual labor.
He told me that on his first day of work the boss asked for “volunteers”. There were about 5-10 new boys in the group. They were all about sixteen or seventeen. The boss asked if any of the new guys “knew how to drive a truck”. My dad saw this as an opportunity to get an “easy job”.
He, and two others, raised their hands. “Great!”, replied his boss. “You three grab those wheelbarrows, and the rest of you go to your bunks to get settled in.” The easy way out wasn’t easy. The three loaded, and unloaded bricks, with the wheelbarrows for the remainder of the day.
My dad worked with his muscles throughout all of his work years. “Driving” a wheelbarrow was just one of many such jobs.
I expect that you, like my dad, your dad, and me, will have several different jobs over the years. Like the three of us, I also believe you’ll have more than one girlfriend along the way.
In summary:
- When the girls in your life are happy, the chances are you’ll be happy too. Go with the flow, but don’t break any laws. Have fun and be respectful.
- Work hard. Listen more than you speak. Learn all you can from those around you. Take advice, but make your own final decisions.
- Volunteer even if the work appears to be hard. We learn more from “doing” than thinking about “doing”. Experience is a great teacher.
- If you work at the golf course this summer, make sure to check out the senior rates for relatives. (You can tell them I’m over 70 and on a fixed income.)
LYTTMAB
TGO