Hi ratboy69!
Ischkabibble! No - it's not a curse word or is this phrase meant to be offensive!!!
It just means that I ca'nt let myself give up that easy to the so-called status quo! In this case we're talking about the notion that we might as well give up competing for our jobs; I will not settle for that and you should not either!!!
I apologize for being so blunt but, one cannot become successful in any area in life with a "defeatist" perception that the odds are all stacked against them and that one should discourage others who are interested in pursuing their chosen field because of their own perception that there is no future in that given trade!!! Remember that if a "young un" or "youngster" or "kid" decides to chose a trade of their choice, chances are, that the beginner will NOT stay being just a welder!!! This is especially true if this person does'nt settle or give up by accepting everything that is offered to them and rationalizing that they will not not get any further in their own self worth - meaning, not attempting to learn more, improve their skill level, or earn valuable experience in as many areas within their field so that they can take what the worked with, and gained to another level which would increase their chances of earning better wages or even start their own business if they choose...
Had I or many other individuals that frequent this forum or anyone else that has had some level of success for that matter, decided long ago to give up at the start of their careers (No! It's not just a job!!!) or to listen to every person that conveyed a similar opinion then, NONE of us would've advanced ourselves by expanding our knowledge base, gaining a diverse array of experience, continuously seek to explore all of the possibilities available to us, applying what we learned & experienced into future situations and therefore, increasing our value by never giving up in improving ourselves, then none of us would be where we are today!!! If this were the case, then this industry as a whole, would've ceased to exist a long time ago!!!
I can look back and honestly say that I DEFINITELY make more money than I did when I first started out in what began as learning a trade, only to end up becoming a very rewarding career... How did the transition occur from learning a trade to pursuing a career? For me, I convinced myself from the very beginning that there were just too many different possibilities, and opportunities out there to pass up and I was HUNGRY TO LEARN MORE!!! How did I get that hungry? By being exposed to GREAT mentors and educators that did not give up on me!!! They told me in the beginning: "The moment you give up or settle on your capability or potential for improvement, it's the moment you'll regret for the rest of your life when you're old and tired". Well - I'm getting old (I still think young) and tired but, I have no regrets!!! I also do'nt believe everything that's reported in the news or by some surveys or polls!!!
No one should think that life must always be fair because in reality, it is'nt!!! I went through a Liver transplant,had to self administer daily injections of interferon while I was working until I could no longer do so in order to slow down the progression of end stage liver disease, was permanently disfigured in the face as a result of an assault (mugging) coming out of a subway station from work which also resulted in contracting (at the time - they called it non-A non-B hepatitis) hepatitis C because of the blood transfusion I needed in order to save my life & eventually led to the need of a liver transplant, fell more than 30 feet down a missile tube (staging collapsed) and broke my humerous bone (blessed by the fact that it could've been worse), went through numerous rejections in seeking employment, (it still happens today) came from a broken home, was told that I would'nt amount to anything because I was either lefthanded or because I was hispanic but, NEVER did I once let any of that STOP ME!!! I could stay on SSDI (I had to be on it more than once) for the rest of my life if I wanted to but then again, that would mean giving up and I refuse to do so!!! I'm not saying that I'm better than anyone else -oh no!!! I'm just saying that I did'nt, nor do I intend to settle or give up because of any situation that may limit or hinder my own progression at any given time!!!
When I started out in this "trade" - I was making $2.50 an hour (some of us started out making even less)! Now that's a long way from what I'm capable of earning today by about 10 to 15 times! How did I get to this level? By pushing myself beyond what I thought I was capable in advancing my career!!! Not by letting or making up excuses for settling or accepting my limitations at the time and giving up all hope in improving myself, or limiting what I was capable of learning or earning!!! At the present time of course, I recieve a fraction of that from disability but, I still manage to live a somewhat comfortable life because, I learned how to adapt, improvise and overcome!!! As my health improves, my yearning to get back to work is intensifying... In other words, I'm taking the steps to improve my situation and, even if they are baby steps, I know that I'm not standing still!!! I'm moving foward so, do'nt stand still otherwise, you'll become deadwood!!! Somebody talked about the meaning of the word grit on another thread and it was interesting when someone mentioned the word grit based from the title of the movie: "True Grit" and it is definitely in the context that I could certainly relate to...
I fell in love with welding in fact, just about everything associated with welding and would not still be involved in welding if I did'nt enjoy what I'm doing!!! So, for those of you that do'nt like what you're doing and are'nt willing to sacrifice time and effort to improve yourselves in this field,or unwilling or unable to find joy in what you're doing then by all means, find something else that you'll enjoy doing!!! However, if you like what you're doing and want to make more money in what you're doing for a living, then I have six words for you: CHANGE YOUR SITUATION & NEVER SET LIMITS!!! If you're not willing to do this - then you'll end up being a very miserable person so, start making some REAL changes in improving your LIFE!!!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot - replace your fears with FAITH!!!
Most of all, NEVER GIVE UP - NEVER LET ANYTHING STOP YOU!!! Take it from me, the journey is worth it!!!
Respectfully,
SSBN727 Run Silent... Run Deep!!!