Yesterday I was doing horse chores and my neighbor waved me over to the fence. I have lived here for 15 years we BS and on occasion target practice together as families. When I got there he stuck his had out to shake my hand so I reciprocated. He said he had been waiting for an opportunity to catch me alone to thank me. After thinking for a few seconds I had to say " for what ", he said for straightening out his son, I said how did I do that. His son had worked for me for a few years in the shop before moving on to be a longshoreman where his dad works. Apparently my management style had a profound impact on the young man at home. I had no clue I did anything except for what I always do. He said before his son went to work for me he argued about everything , wouldn't work around the house, was getting into trouble etc. and within a few months he started to see a change in him and over a couple years completely changed and now is one of the best workers at the port with his dad getting compliments on his work ethic. Totally set me back, I thought they just think I'm a asshole taskmaster, what a surprise and made my day.
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influence
- Thread starter m1west
- Start date
I am an asshole task master
I have been scolded repeatedly for my management style.
Even by my wife.
I have no plans to change
This validates and encourages me.
Thanks for posting it.
And
Congrats on making someone a better person, no matter how it was done
We probably need more asshole taskmasters in this world.
We had friends who lived in Dallas. They had four kids. Three of the kids grew up just fine ... and then there was Tommy. That kid was in and out of trouble his whole life. He was in and out of detention centers, he was into drugs and all kinds of crap. He was uncontrollable. Eventually, his parents didn't know what to do for him but his grandfather, who owned a trucking company out in California, said to send him out there for a few months just to get him away from all his "friends" in Dallas. He stayed for over two, almost three, years and when he came back to Dallas, he was a completely different young man. He was well mannered and polite, he got and held a job, met a girl and got married, started a family and looked after them. He had become a model citizen. He ended up doing very well for himself.
I met the grandparents at a family get-together in Dallas and, over a beer or two, I asked what the hell he had done to straighten Tommy out. He said that he introduced him to some of life's realities. Tommy also told me that in the first few days out there he threatened to kick the old man's ass. He said that was a mistake that he never made again. He never said what happened, but I can guess.
My own kids realize it too, growing up under me wasn't much fun but very productive. My family was always building contractors of some kind until my dad and uncle went to WW2. When they came back they were not interested in the family business as Grandpa was too hard to work for and set in his ways was the story I got growing up. Neither my uncle or my dad ever made it and we endured hardships growing up most of my friends families did not. I wasn't from a lack of skills or talent they just didn't have the self motivation. and I blame that on not working for Grandpa. Both of my kids now get it and are productive, but growing up I was told all I wanted to do is ruin there fun and be a taskmaster. When my dad was 86 he came to live with me for a short while before he passed. I had bought him an old house in Michigan and had been paying the mortgage as the only income he had was $850.00 from SS. In the end I could see he realized it too.
chowderman
Well-known member
these stories - and horrors - will be repeated in very loud refrains in the next couple years.
multiple think-tanks have researched / etc the state of "retiring Americans"
an absolutely frightening percent of the giga-millions of Boomers going into retirement have essentially no savings, and no projected income other than Social Security.
anyone currently getting a Social Security "benefit" can educate you on whether Social Security can support a retired couple/person.
the situation is not tenable, there's going to be widespread financial need issues.
and, there are no viable solutions.
a crisis everyone who looks can see, and a crisis for which no one has even thought about how to resolve.
multiple think-tanks have researched / etc the state of "retiring Americans"
an absolutely frightening percent of the giga-millions of Boomers going into retirement have essentially no savings, and no projected income other than Social Security.
anyone currently getting a Social Security "benefit" can educate you on whether Social Security can support a retired couple/person.
the situation is not tenable, there's going to be widespread financial need issues.
and, there are no viable solutions.
a crisis everyone who looks can see, and a crisis for which no one has even thought about how to resolve.