When I was fourteen I got my first real job. I’ll never forget how proud I felt to put on the red and white checkered shirt, the uniform of a man who was ready to make his way in the world. A man with a job!
Woo hoo, earning a paycheck, financial independence; I could buy anything my heart’s desire. At least anything a dollar forty-five an hour could buy me. I was on top of the world—today Giovanni’s Pizza, tomorrow the executive suite on Wall Street. I had it made!
Running down the stairs and heading for the front door I was summoned by my dad. Umm, OK. What could he have to say which could be more important than me getting started on my first million. You see, my dad was never one of many words. When they did come it usually meant you had been caught in some misbehavior which mom decided dad needed to address. This couldn’t be good.
So as I turned and headed for the den my mind was racing through the list of indiscretions which I may have been involved. I was already formulating excuses and explanations when I walked into the den. Here it comes I thought. I said something clever like, “Make it quick dad, I have to get to work.”
He replied with a stern, “Sit down.” Uh oh, this must be serious. Sitting down meant the lecture was coming. Oh brother, didn’t he know I had places to be, fortunes to earn. Couldn’t this wait? He too sat down. Oh geez, what had a done which caused him to set down too?
He looked me in the eye and said, “Stacey, my son.” My son? He had never said that to me before. He must think I had killed someone or set the school on fire. Then it began
So my father of few words turned to me and said. “Son, I am proud of you. You are headed to your first job. It’s a big responsibility. People are depending on you and I want to give you but one piece of advice. If you expect a day’s wage give them a day’s work.” Wow, I thought. There is no punishment, no lecture on past behavior. Instead he had laid down a challenge—a challenge to give my best.
These words were profound. They came from the man of few words. He was more of a ‘by example’ kind of dad. Words just weren’t his thing. Maybe it is why these have stuck with me for more than thirty-five years. Though he didn’t need to say them, he did. His example of hard work and of earning your way was evident in everything he did.
This example of self reliance and hard work, now punctuated with this challenge of earning my way would become guideposts for me. I remind myself of this challenge each time I start a new client project and these are words I have shared with my own children. Though for my own kids, they have always had their dad feeding them with words of wisdom and challenges. This is one more in the stack.
But for me these words have been more precious than gold. They came from a man who lived them more than spoke them. Words I carry with me every time I go to work—then and now.
As I walked from the den I felt relieved that all of those indiscretions which raced through my mind earlier had been forgotten, at least for now but I knew the day of reckoning for those would come soon enough.
For now I reveled in the idea of making my fortune, of financial independence. If I earned it!
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