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Are You “Just” a Parent in a Thankless Job?
Does parenting suck?
Parenting is a thankless job… a familiar phrase usually dropped casually between I’ll have another scotch and what are your plans for the summer?
Enjoy this time because you will miss it when it’s gone… the flip side of the “thankless job” usually replied to with a nod and a knowing look of mutual appreciation for being understood that we are doing this thankless job.
But what if I said it’s not parenting that sucks. It’s not parenting that is a thankless job?
Do you look at LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or Kevin Durant and think… oh my, what thankless jobs they have. Think about it… long hours, constantly on the road, traveling from city to city from one hotel room to the next. Drilling and practicing even when they’re hurt, painful joints, pulled muscles, playing for hours and if not playing then practicing… standing at that hoop and doing free throw after free throw. Some love you some hate you as you can’t please everyone?
What about Stephen Spielberg? Is that a what a thankless job moment… super grueling long hours editing scenes with multiple takes of people who may have a different creative vision, throw tantrums or come to work drunk. Or those who don’t appreciate you and critique your work, maybe even leaving it a bad review for the world to see.
Then how about Stephen King, does he have a thankless job, he’s just a writer… and you know how tedious writing can get! Drumming up ideas while sitting in front of a blank screen willing them to percolate effectively and as breezily as the end result might appear. And sometimes they do, yet other times the thoughts won’t come as pacing, teeth grit with determination, pushes you ahead. People praise you or critique you. Some books make you millions and others don’t.
Are any of these thankless jobs that suck? Quite the opposite really, people dream of these jobs. And yet if we break them down they are no easier than parenting and they sure don’t bring any greater advantage to the world than bringing up our next generation of adults.
