Jobs: Money or Service?

Standing outside with my daughters and their friend Rachel a couple of weeks ago, the familiar summer sound of approaching chimes made us look to the street. As an ice cream truck drove by, Rachel remarked, “He doesn’t look so happy.”

“How can you not be happy,” asked Ella, my 9-year-old, “when you’re driving an ice cream truck?”

“Maybe he doesn’t like his job,” I replied.

Sophia, Ella’s 6-year-old sister, said, “How is that possible?”

The conversation got me thinking about a common issue that most adults have to deal with. When kids inquire about why we work and whether we enjoy our job, should we explain our true feelings?

In theory, driving a truck filled with ice cream and distributing sweet goodness to eager children everywhere seems like a rewarding job. The same goes for any career where a person truly enjoys what they’re doing, from treating the sick to managing finances to fixing a car. But let’s face it: Jobs give us the money we need to live, and doing what we really love doesn’t always pay the bills.

My daughters sometimes complain about Tanya and me having to work and not being able to hang out as a family. Sadly, my first instinct isn’t always to tell them that people are depending on me. I usually give the standard spiel about paying the mortgage or buying food or being able to take vacations.

I’d love to tell Ella and Sophia that the main reason I work is to contribute to society. But it’s not completely true. One of the most important lessons for children to learn is that having a steady job is important, as it translates to a steady stream of income. Quite often, that means doing something you might not enjoy or working when you’d rather be playing. We’ve all been there, whether it’s the part-time job as a teenager flipping burgers or the one you take until something better comes around.

I enjoy being a physical therapist. I help people, I have fun with my co-workers, and I make enough money to pay the bills. Writing also makes me happy, even though I’ll confess I don’t get paid for everything I publish. (Thankfully, I don’t have to depend on writing to make a living.) But on those days when I’d rather be at home or hiking a trail, I wonder if others notice my attitude like Rachel noticed the ice cream truck driver.

Tanya and I want our children to choose professions that make them happy. Otherwise, they’ll spend large parts of their lives being miserable, no matter how much money they make. The parent’s challenge is to demonstrate that going to work can be rewarding and enjoyable (most of the time) while still producing the necessary wage to live a comfortable life. It’s a tough middle ground.

I still wonder if the ice cream truck driver’s kids asked him if he had a good day at work. I’m even more curious if he answered honestly.