Welcome to From Insults To Respect.

These days, many are performing their jobs from home and are missing the camaraderie of their workplace. Such drastic changes in their lives, and that of their families, give us reason to reflect on what work means to us.

Given the main focus of this blog, you might wonder what work has to do with respect. Well, many people achieve a great deal of respect from the work they do, while others are humbled by finding they have had little choice but to take a job far different from what they had aspired to in earlier days. Others, having lost their job and finding themselves falling deep into poverty, may be questioning their own self respect. So, without any further ado, here’s a little meditation on this topic insightfully aided by Bob Dylan’s “work” episode from his Theme Time Radio Hour series, which we can listen to HERE.

Bob’s Show On the Theme of Work

As the show begins, we hear a lively swinging rhythm of a horn and bass mixing it up, and then, Bob welcomes his listeners,

Welcome back to Theme Time Radio Hour, and this week we’re talking about work. We’re talkin’ about golden parachutes, poison pills, golden handshakes. We’re talking about workin’ like a dog, work around the clock, workin’ 9 to 5; talking about all the workin’ stiffs who’re workin’ for a livin’, who live to work, labor intensive, doin’ odd jobs, married to their job, them employee of the month hard at work. So this week, no kidding around, no fooling, no goofing off, no hanging around the water cooler, because we’re going to get right down to it, putting in an honest day’s work, for an honest day’s pay, for our subject de jure is work and jobs. 

We’re going to start this thing off with the most famous poem by Walt Whitman, “I Hear America Singing.”

At this point Bob recites the poem, and he does a great job expressing the subtle emotion of its phrases:

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,

The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,

The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,

The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,

The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,

Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,

The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,

Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

We talked about Mondays before, and a lot of people don’t like them. Some like to call it blue Monday. T-Bone Walker called it stormy Monday. It’s the day you have to go back to the grind. 

Imagine how bad it would be if you had one of the least popular jobs in the world. The least popular jobs are poultry processor, machine operator, farm worker, laundry worker, roofer, recycling plant worker, and street prostitute. Which is worse, street prostitute or poultry processor?  Well, anyway, both of them probably hate Monday, so here’s their national anthem, “Stormy Monday,” by T-Bone Walker.

They call it stormy Monday, and, baby, Tuesday’s just as bad
Call it stormy Monday, and, baby, Tuesday’s just as bad
Wednesday’s worse, Thursday’s oh so sad. 

The eagle flies on Friday, and Saturday I go out to play
Well the eagle flies on Friday, and Saturday I go out to play
Sunday I go to church, I kneel down and pray

Lord, have mercy, oh well it’s Lord have mercy on me
Lord, have mercy, oh well my heart’s in misery

Why does everybody have a career doing some kind of work? People work because they enjoy doing some things that are useful, and to buy the things they need for themselves and their families.

I keep my nose on the grindstone, I work hard every day
I might get a little tired on the weekend, after I draw my pay
Then I’ll go back workin’, come Monday morning I’m right back with the crew
I’ll drink a little beer that evening
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

Sometimes I think about leaving, do a little bummin’ around
I want to throw my bills out the window catch a train to another town
I’ll go back working, I gotta buy my kids a brand new pair of shoes
I drink a little beer in a tavern
Cry a little bit of these working man blues, here comes that workin’ man blues

You know, the working man is not the only man to have the blues; it’s also often tough to be the boss. It’s like what Robert Frost once said, “By working faithfully for eight hours a day, we may eventually get to be the boss and work twelve.” 

Bob then tells us that if he had to have a boss, he would choose Bruce Springsteen.

You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

You might be a rock ‘n’ roll addict prancing on the stage
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage
You may be a business man or some high-degree thief
They may call you doctor or they may call you chief

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes you are

I got to get out and find a job
The roof is leaking and the rent ain’t paid
Got to get a new pair of shoes and I’m all upset
Old lady fussing bout the bills she make

I got to get out and find a job

Never made enough to put nothing on the side
Problems, problems lordy I’m so tired
Trouble by the dozen oh me, oh my

I got to get me out and find a job

I don’t know how I’m a gonna live
Something got to break lord, something got to give
I’m in trouble and I’m sincere
I got to get me out and find a job

Man wanted to work in a dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.

It takes many ingredients to make Burger King great, but our most important ingredient is our people. 

A pair of hardly used dentures, two teeth missing, $100 or best offer, call Ira after 6 PM.

Just whistle while you work
And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place
So hum a merry tune
It won’t take long when there’s a song to help you set the pace
And as you sweep the room
Imagine that the broom
Is someone that you love and soon you’ll find you’re dancing to the tune
When hearts are high the time will fly so whistle while you work 

You want to keep in mind that you are going on an interview, not a date. Don’t drown yourself with perfume or cologne. Speak up. Interviewers don’t want to drag words out of you. On the other hand, don’t talk too much, you don’t want to bore them. Stay focused, listen to what the question is and answer it; they don’t want to hear about what your dog did last week. Make eye contact, you don’t want to appear to be some kind of criminal. Poor language skills don’t help. Using “like” every third word or repeatedly saying “um” does not make you a likely candidate. Build trust. Don’t use a lot of little white lies, you’re going to get caught, and then how are they to believe anything you say. Wear a clean shirt, and present the best you possible. And once you get the job, you can do what everyone else does, figure out ways to get the day off.  

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