I think we all had some boomer who said, “You only sit in front of a computer all day, when are you gonna get a real job? In my times i had to break my back, worked 16 hours a day caring weight, burning my skin in the sun, i was paid in pennies, had to breathe toxic smoke that reduces everybody’s life expectancy, those were the good times when people worked for real”

Like, for them work is being physically exploited to death, or it isn’t a real job.

Fuck those guys, im making a living from my computer and even so im fucking stressed out.

  • Arcadius@lemmy.ml
    3·
    3 years ago

    GenXer here. I stopped listening to elders like that when I was a teen. I just nod and keep doing what I’m doing and it’s lead to a better life.

  • MrVilliam@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    10 months ago

    Anecdotal so maybe not the experience for most or even many, but I’ve seen kinda the opposite from Gen X. My wife (left office work for bartending) has gotten a lot of nudging from her Gen X parents that bartending is just a small phase and she’ll get back to “real work” when she gets this outta her system. She hustles hard, gets to meet people, gets to be creative with some mixology ideas, she’s absolutely not a morning person, and most of all she feels in control and has fun. I’ll support her choice either way, but in terms of advancement and security, I think her parents are right in a lot of ways. We’re lucky that I’m employed gainfully enough that she has the freedom to choose work that she enjoys, but our healthcare and income is nearly entirely on my shoulders in a blue collar job that I really can’t do all the way to retirement (if that’s even possible) unless I hustle enough to get a desk job within the next 5-10 years. I turned 35 last month and it’s become quite apparent that some of my body’s capabilities have a very real expiration date. The work can be very hard on my body, but I can’t make this kind of money at a white collar new job without probably 10+ years of combined education and experience.

    What I’m saying is enjoy your health and the fact that you can make your living without destroying your knees, back, and hands. But be aware that mental health is health. Take time off for it when you need it, and take care of your mental health by giving treats to your brain like fun puzzles, meditation time, and some kind of creative outlet you enjoy like drawing or writing or playing music. Something active, not just passively watching TV. And you probably could benefit from taking some vitamin D, especially this time of year (assuming you’re in the Northern hemisphere), especially if you’re living pretty far from the equator like me (near DC).

    Good luck!