xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx KNOCK THE HUSTLE EXCERPTS xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx FOR MY SEEDS, PART THREE xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
CHOICES...
Pops took a different route. He gave 33 years to the CTA—lots of graveyard shifts: 10 P.M. till 6 A.M. He did it so he could be home when we got up for school and in the evenings to help us with homework, etc. He’d tuck us in around 9:30 P.M. then go earn his cream. He probably could’ve gotten more shine by switching up, but no dice. Family first. He didn’t take day shifts until we were old enough to understand “working for a living.” He never made big dough. Never got an office. Never rocked a business suit. He did what he had to and put his family first.
Among other gigs, mom worked for Santa Fe Railroad after doing time at Michael Reese hospital and answering phones for Coca-Cola. She put family first as well. She never worked weekends or clocked long hours chasing a corner office. She worked to live, never lived to work. No 6-figure income or fancy house in the ’burbs. She made her peace with being a mom and played her position to the fullest.
I’m glad she made that choice. I’m glad they both did. Next to God, my parents are the reason I didn’t end up dead or in jail like so many I came up with. And again, we weren’t rich by anyone’s standards. And I wouldn’t change a thing about any of it.
Most of folks I grew up around didn’t have a choice in how long they worked. Overtime and extra shifts were the difference between making car payments, maintaining 3 squares a day and not. They had to punch clocks for 30 years if they wanted to keep a house and put kids thru college. But when stakes is high, you do what you gotta do.
But again, I believe that many businessfolks have a choice. And I believe too many are choosing the wrong things. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying career success and family are mutually exclusive because they’re not. But what I am saying is (1) Don’t measure your worth by your title. (2) Don’t lie to yourself about why you’re making the choices you’re making. And (3) Don’t lie to your kids about it because they know the real deal even if you don’t.
Help the grown folks...
they need more help than their children do.
—Raphael Saadiq (2)
