With our solar project, I've been spending a lot of time watching electricians. When it came time to hook the system up to the grid, some guys from our electrical cooperative came to shut the power off so the final connection could be done safely. The new panel was only a few feet from the transformer, so the solar electricians watched as the utility guys opened the transformer box and took out what I thought of as the fuse – a metal thing a foot or so long. After they removed it, they did a quick check to make sure the power was out. They turned and nodded to the solar power electrician and even though he'd just watched as the entire farm was physically separated from the electrical grid, he used his multi tester and checked to see if the power was out at his box.
I like watching people who are good at their jobs, and I particularly enjoy watching people do things where competence matters, where incompetence has a real penalty.
It's one of the pleasures of my life, hanging out with people who do the work of this world - carpenters, guys who pour concrete, farmers, nurses, and many others. I suppose there have always been jobs where you could BS your way through life, but it seems like there are getting to be more and more of them every year.
I keep meeting people who have jobs where there is no real deliverable, nothing you can point toward at the end of the day as an actual accomplishment. There's no real need for accountability or precision, and boy, does it show.
Not long after I spent the day watching electricians at work, I read an article about the youth of today, their education and expectations. There was a quote from the headmaster of a private school about a hundred years ago. He'd said, “I want to turn out young men who are acceptable on the dance floor and invaluable in a shipwreck.”
As a general rule, I think our society is doing a horrible job at that and not just because so few young people know how to waltz. It's been my experience that the only way to learn how to do something right is to do it wrong a few times, and the only way to handle pressure is to survive being under pressure. There are no shortcuts to competence.
About twenty years ago, there was a moment when our local doctor suspected I was having a heart attack and shipped me off by ambulance to a hospital in the Twin Cities. It was a little stressful for everyone, but all three of our kids stepped up in various ways, staying calm and competent throughout. I was, and am, very proud of them for that. In all honesty, though, I don't think it was an accident. From a relatively early age they helped with chores, ran farm equipment and the two youngest worked with me to shingle our house when they were still in high school. I haven't really noticed how good they are on a dance floor, but all three of them would be invaluable in a shipwreck.
I am no child development expert, not by any means, but I do notice that many people are concerned about how anxious young people are today. It's my opinion that anxiety stems from a feeling of problems being out of your control and the solution is to get better at handling problems. Take your time, follow the rules, try to do it right the first time, be willing to try again...it's not magic, and it’s a skill that can be taught.
Copyright 2024 Brent Olson