Ask Lemmy

Thanks. Really, I got lucky with mentor types early on.

There was a dude in highschool in the theater group that did the tech stuff. Lights and sound, sets were another group. He was super rad. He taught us that figuring out how to do stuff was at least as fun as doing stuff. He also taught us a weird kind of loyalty. If we skipped class or whatever, we could come and work in the theater as long as we kept quiet about it and just worked. He wouldn't lie or cover for us but if we were there to learn or do, mum was the word.

My roofing boss took me aside one day and asked why I was trying to work so fast. I told him everyone else was cruising. He said "I dont pay you to do it fast. I pay you to do it right. Speed will come later". He also taught me it was crucial to know where the good lunch places were and to make the most of that break.

And between my dad and my uncle, I've learned that just because you're good at something doesn't mean you're a better person than someone, work ends at the end of the day, that if you're being paid to do something it means you're a professional and you should act like one, and to take pride in my work even if its for an asshole client.

I've worked for some shitty people too. They taught me that if I ever think I know it all, I should quit because thinking there's no more to learn just means I've given up trying. They also taught me that hazing is stupid and the only thing that achieves is getting the new guy to piss in your thermos (thats right Dave, you fuck. that was me that fucked up your coffee. Think about that next time you tell someone to move a pile of lumber back and forth 3 times).