The greatest satisfaction I have ever derived from a job was found washing dishes at a main street diner during my late teens. I worked long hours, which grew p

The greatest satisfaction I have ever derived from a job was found washing dishes at a main street diner during my late teens. I worked long hours, which grew progressively longer, as my coworkers quit and the owners didn't bother to replace them. I made a poor wage, and my hands were absolutely destroyed by the constant immersion in hot water and the metal scratch pad I favored. I had little time for my intellectual pursuits, and there was certainly no future in it. But I really enjoyed the low-key meditation that was possible, given the repetitive nature of the tasks I had to perform. I liked the interaction with the waitresses and the cooks. I liked going home from work after a ten hour day and knowing that I was done, that there was no technical debt I'd accrued during the day, no nagging concern as to whether I'd done the job right or whether the performance of a particular system would be adequate. I was secure in the knowledge that I was the very best dishwasher in town, as borne out by the fact that I was the only person who could work a Sunday lunch rush alone. Now I have technical debt, nagging concerns, impostor syndrome, and exclusively male and professional coworkers. I like the money, of course, and I like the idea that I'm producing something. But if I didn't have ambition - if I didn't have goals to live up to, or a better world to build - you bet I'd be right at home washing dishes. Of course, bartending might be hellish compared to dishwashing, but I doubt it.