Monday, January 07, 2008

Blue collar girl in a white collar world.

I feel lost at college.

All I want to do is play with wood, metal, anything that I can build with. Not sit down in class everyday to discuss what some woman writer was trying to say in the 12th century. I don't want to learn about the reason why this president was regarded as awful, and that president was wonderful. Those are just historians writing down their biased opinion and view of history.

Give me some wood. Some machines. And I'll be so happy.

Should I really be going to a college that doesn't offer anything to do with your hands (except for the fine arts department)? What's the point if I only want to play with wood?

I'll even do landscaping! Just let me play with my hands and actually build something. I'll let the white collar people type on computers in cages all day and read and be smart.

They still need the blue collar studs.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is called escapism. We all like to do hobbies and things with our hands but with the talent Heavenly Father has given you of a smart brain you need to use it in furthering the good in the world for us. You can always use your hands along with increasing your knowledge. So during the summer use your hands and during the winter expand your mind. Actually if you could build us a new couch(not coach) and make some crown molding for the bedroom and the rest of the house, molding around the bedroom window, paint the bedroom after fixing all the nail holes and then keep the cars in good working order. After all that you will be happy to get back to using your brain talent

Letty said...

When i first met Ricky he said that he could never imagine a life where he had to wear nice clothes and sit behind a desk...yeah well, we'll just say that he does love his job and this way those things are still hobbies and can be done at his leisure rather than trying to support a family on the small income that comes with them.
Although we do hope to someday have a bakery and a nursery (for plants).
It's not soo bad...you are smart and great at everything you do. Just be patient it will all come together!

Rick Edge said...

Like your hands, eh? Get a business degree, take some landscaping classes, and start your own business after college.
However, you probably won't like the business school. Imagine all of the pomposity of the educated with nothing of substance holding it up...

Old Warrior said...

Abby--I'm pretty sure that most of the studs used these days are either metal in commercial construction or kiln-dried fir for residential. I don't know about these blue collared studs of which you speak. Maybe you should stick with the academia for now...

Anonymous said...

You don't know me . . . I came upon your post because I was "googling" anything that had to do with being in the white collar world with a blue collar family background.

My first comment is: yes, there are some blue collar studs and I married one of them. Sorry, but a man with hands that are smoother and softer than mine is a big turn OFF, and that is what I've seen in the offices where I've worked.

Second, yes, get your degree, it is all about having choices. You may choose blue collar work for your first 20 years out of college, but then you might want to get something physically easier, and a BA will make it a bit easier for you. My husband made the mistake of not getting any degree. He did complete an Associates in Bus. Admin. at a junior college, then never paid the bill so has no degree to show for it. Go for at least a Bachelor's (an Associates is not worth much more than HS diploma or equivalent at this point). Try working for a few years after getting the Bachelor's before you commit to a graduate degree, some grad degrees really are not worth too much. (I have my BA and work as an editor.)