My cancer journey seems to be taking a long and slow route at the moment, with not much going on. To help pass the time I thought I might occasionally share some random thoughts. I hope I don’t end up boring anyone!
I’ve been off work for 5 months now and during that time I have become increasingly grateful to a number of friends and extended family who are always there for me with a cheery email whenever I’m having a bad day. What has suddenly struck me is that most of these wonderful people have plenty of time on their hands because they can’t find work. I’ve known a lot of them for many years and they are all intelligent people. So where have all the jobs gone?
I asked this in some emails yesterday and many people suggested that technology has stolen the jobs. When I thought about it more I have to agree. I left school in the 1970s before the days of computers. It would have been unheard of for anyone to leave school and not get a job. A good half of my classmates became typists, or shorthand secretaries. Then there were a few like me who were good at adding up. We became wages clerks or ledger clerks. A few girls took up bank cashiering and a couple became telephone operators. As the years have gone by and technology has entered the workplace, there has been less need for these types of occupations. Some have been cut back on, some have almost vanished. I wonder if my class had been school leavers today what we would have all done for a living?
Which brings me onto the problems facing school leavers today. In my extended family there are several bright youngsters who have stayed on at school, got good “A” level grades, got a decent University Degree, and still can’t find any work. There is one girl just coming up to 18 who is interested in becoming a hairdresser/beauty technician. I think this is a smart move. That has to be a job for life, as I can’t see technology ever being able to cut hair! It’s something you can do as an employee, or as it could be done in client’s homes without the need for premises, it would seem to offer a low cost method of setting up your own business. But the family are completely against the idea, they say she must go to Uni or it will be a waste of her education, that a degree is vital these days. I’m keeping well away from this family discussion, as I’m trying to lead a stress free life!
I’ve also decided that technology in the workplace causes stress. When computers were introduced to the office I worked in I thought they were wonderful. Spreadsheets meant I could do in half an hour what would have taken a day to complete. What I failed to realise was that my employer would just end up finding me more things to do to fill up the spare time. In my current job I have to run a finance department for a small business all by myself. Before computers I reckon it would have taken 10 people to do what I am expected to achieve. No wonder I get stressed at the thought of how I’m going to cope if I ever get back there!
I know the 70s weren’t perfect, and maybe I am looking back through rose tinted spectacles, but sometimes I think I’d like to be able to go back in time. To a simpler, less stressful life, without the constant pressure and rushing about that we seem to have got caught up in these days. I might just get those David Cassidy records out of the attic and take a little stroll down memory lane….
