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Anyone that hasn't done manual labor really has no idea how rough it can be. I worked as an office-furniture-mover in my early 20s (Summers in college), and som
by briHass 4y ago
Anyone that hasn't done manual labor really has no idea how rough it can be. I worked as an office-furniture-mover in my early 20s (Summers in college), and some days were pretty tough. Granted, that's pretty low on the manual labor skills spectrum, but even for a guy in prime physical shape, it's tiring and has elements of danger.
Now that I'm double that age, the manual labor I've done like rewiring my house, installing all my own HVAC equipment, and all the yard work for a large property is much harder. I stay sore for days, and it's easy to push too hard to get something done and get injured or overwork my body to where my heart rate stays elevated for hours.
There's something to be said for working with your brain. The worst days dealing with idiot product management and never-ending Jira tickets don't compare to unloading a truck in a hot warehouse or kneeling in a crawlspace for hours re-piping a sewer line.
- jletienne 4y ago>The worst days dealing with idiot product management and never-ending Jira tickets don't compare to unloading a truck in a hot warehouse or kneeling in a crawlspace for hours re-piping a sewer line. damn i can only imagine
- corbulo 4y agoThere are upsides, like a certain degree of pride from really feeling like you worked hard and going to bed truly tired. Those are the things I miss about that kind of job. Going to bed as that particular kind of tired was just awesome.
- nonethewiser 4y agoIn better shape too. Some jobs wear you out. But being on your feet all day and doing moderate heavy lifting is far better for your health than sitting down all day.
- giraffe_lady 4y agoMaybe for the first decade but it's nearly impossible to avoid accumulating injuries and eventually chronic pain or disability over a whole career.
- HEmanZ 4y agoI don’t think anyone idealizes those kind of physical labor jobs. Usually “the trades” is much more skilled manual labor: plumbing, hvac, welding, specialized mechanic work and repair, woodworking/carpentry, etc. No one says people should want a life of a mover, meatpacker, or ditch digger.
- phist_mcgee 4y agoI think that's a cultural thing. In Australia, trade workers are very highly paid and generally very well respected in society (even day labourers). In fact many envy 'tradies' as they're called, because they can outearn white-collar workers pretty easily.
- selimthegrim 4y agoI believe there was a comment on here earlier about how surfer tradies were the preferred partners of female doctors.
- saalweachter 4y agoBy surfer do you just mean "a tradesperson who surfs for fun", or is there a slang meaning there?
- defrost 4y agoLiterally tradespeople that surf when the breaks are good. Good job, good income, fit and healthy.
- juve1996 4y agoThe idea that plumbers/hvac/welders etc don't have physical wear and tear is also a myth that needs dispelled.
- rootusrootus 4y agoIndeed, I've talked to a number of 20-something tradespeople in these fields and many of them already have back problems. I think if you go into the trades, you need to plan your career carefully and plan on stepping into management or business ownership by the time you reach middle age. They are hard jobs.
- geomark 4y agoI feel your pain. I worked in a furniture warehouse and delivered furniture, summers, in Phoenix.