I came up here to Manhattan a decade or so ago and am basically working in the industry that preceded the tech giants Uber and Lyft. I've seen a ton of part-time/barely full-time employees come and go, and I've always been supportive of their ambitions. But I don't know, man. Something's clicked with this new generation and I just feel like it's time I throw a giant bucket of cold water on the bunch and wake them up to the fact that just because you "want something really bad" doesn't mean you're entitled to it.
A few examples of the kids with their heads in the clouds whom I deal with:
***Guy in his early to mid-20s, used to be a "manny" (housekeeper/babysitter) for a woman who's a judge that handles sex crimes and similar felonies in New York City. Thinks he can be a -- get this -- professional boxer. I'm not sure if it's UFC or MMA or traditional Queensbury Rules, but he apparently has a record of 8-3 -- all knockouts, six in the first round -- which I find VERY hard to believe because he's all of 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds soaking wet.
***Another kid about his age who -- as everyone and their mother in this city does -- wants to be an actor. He apparently did some singing and dancing in an incredibly obscure Disney movie, and talks about being in his high school's (?) production of "Grease" I can't count the number of times he's bailed on work or begged someone else to cover a shift for him so he can go audition.
***Divorced mom with two kids who thinks she's some kind of art aficionado and will be opening up her studio any day now. Funny -- she can remember the exact pickup location, dropoff location and amount of a fare she had on a Tuesday in March six years ago, but she can't use that brain power to realize that art galleries don't grow on trees.
***Trust fund kid who proved in college -- once and for all -- that marijuana truly is a gateway drug because who knows how he passes a freaking drug test to keep his job. Guy literally doesn't know if it's today, 30 years in the past or 30 years in the future. I guess he doesn't actually have "a dream" like the rest of them -- other than maybe owning a dozen TVs to vege out in front of -- but I can't believe the opportunity this kid had and has wasted.
***And, of course, the immigrant from God knows where who's supposedly a "mechanic." Put a wrench in his hand and suddenly he's making more money than the rest of us regardless of whether he actually knows how to fix anything or knows two words of English. There's some creepy vibe I get from the guy, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up mouthing off to the wrong guy someday and getting the **** kicked out of him. With cameras and phones everywhere, it'll probably be on National TV.
I really don't want to be a Debbie Downer -- they get enough of that from our supervisor. And my life's not perfect. I've had plenty of ups and downs, most notably being divorced. But I impressed upon MY son the importance of following the traditional path to success: getting a solid education in a STEM field and working your butt off once you get into the real world. Now the kid does stuff I couldn't imagine, like decoding signals embedded within global satellite transmissions from alien worlds.
But at some point I just think it's up to me to offer these hacks a heaping dose of reality.
A few examples of the kids with their heads in the clouds whom I deal with:
***Guy in his early to mid-20s, used to be a "manny" (housekeeper/babysitter) for a woman who's a judge that handles sex crimes and similar felonies in New York City. Thinks he can be a -- get this -- professional boxer. I'm not sure if it's UFC or MMA or traditional Queensbury Rules, but he apparently has a record of 8-3 -- all knockouts, six in the first round -- which I find VERY hard to believe because he's all of 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds soaking wet.
***Another kid about his age who -- as everyone and their mother in this city does -- wants to be an actor. He apparently did some singing and dancing in an incredibly obscure Disney movie, and talks about being in his high school's (?) production of "Grease" I can't count the number of times he's bailed on work or begged someone else to cover a shift for him so he can go audition.
***Divorced mom with two kids who thinks she's some kind of art aficionado and will be opening up her studio any day now. Funny -- she can remember the exact pickup location, dropoff location and amount of a fare she had on a Tuesday in March six years ago, but she can't use that brain power to realize that art galleries don't grow on trees.
***Trust fund kid who proved in college -- once and for all -- that marijuana truly is a gateway drug because who knows how he passes a freaking drug test to keep his job. Guy literally doesn't know if it's today, 30 years in the past or 30 years in the future. I guess he doesn't actually have "a dream" like the rest of them -- other than maybe owning a dozen TVs to vege out in front of -- but I can't believe the opportunity this kid had and has wasted.
***And, of course, the immigrant from God knows where who's supposedly a "mechanic." Put a wrench in his hand and suddenly he's making more money than the rest of us regardless of whether he actually knows how to fix anything or knows two words of English. There's some creepy vibe I get from the guy, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up mouthing off to the wrong guy someday and getting the **** kicked out of him. With cameras and phones everywhere, it'll probably be on National TV.
I really don't want to be a Debbie Downer -- they get enough of that from our supervisor. And my life's not perfect. I've had plenty of ups and downs, most notably being divorced. But I impressed upon MY son the importance of following the traditional path to success: getting a solid education in a STEM field and working your butt off once you get into the real world. Now the kid does stuff I couldn't imagine, like decoding signals embedded within global satellite transmissions from alien worlds.
But at some point I just think it's up to me to offer these hacks a heaping dose of reality.
How do I get a Longhorn tag?
