The benefits of grunt work

One of the biggest issues I have with my friends on the left is that they seem to not understand the benefits of work. And I mean any and all work. In many instances, those on the left would rather people have no jobs at all and rely on the state rather than have a low-wage job that, while not paying much, offers them the opportunity to learn, be responsible, and better appreciate the value of money.

The rise of the welfare state is one manifestation of the left’s disdain for work, the arbitrary imposition of minimum wage laws is another, but so is their hatred of Wal Mart. So, I was interested in this article in which a young man who has obviously gone on to bigger and better things, got his start working at Wal Mart. And, what did he think about the job? He said, “Overall, I spent about two years at Walmart. It was a great experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

Obviously, this attitude about work and his willingness to learn, helped him excel in life and led him to where he is today. And he’s not alone. I did not work at Wal Mart, but I did work at Kmart and I learned a lot. I was blessed to be given the opportunity to work in a wide variety of roles from shoes to the garden center to hardware and electronics, not to mention checkout and carts. It was a great experience.

Even better than that was my time as a golf caddie (to this day the job I’ve held for longer than any other in my life 11 years). Simply put, that job was one of the most important experiences of my life helped teach me that if you don’t work, you don’t get paid (and we got paid in cash, so I appreciated not having taxes taken out), customer service, communicating, and I got to learn the game of golf, get exercise, and be outside all summer long.

Unfortunately, rules and regulations thought up by some well-intentioned lawmakers and bureaucrats make it harder for young people to work and learn the value of a hard day’s work. It is, ironically, the young people who are missing out when politicians intervene to “protect” them.