The Need For Change

My father held three jobs as an adult. The first of which was as a Marine, serving in the Pacific in WWII. I start with this position as his first adult job because he was still a teenager when he accepted the post. Like many, he was in the blurred line of “able to qualify” under the age limitations for enlistment of the time. It is during this time trial, destruction, and death that he came of age as a man. Returning home at war's end, he took a position in the commercial printing industry, working in Chicago and rising through the ranks in a career of some 28 years, which was abruptly concluded with the final edition of Life magazine in the 70's. This did not end his career path however. He accepted a position in the equipment manufacturing end of the industry, where again he worked for over 20 years, before finally accepting (grudgingly I might add) that it was time to retire at the age of 70. 
 
The world has changed in the ensuing years however. Even while attempting to follow my father into that industry, the career stability that he enjoyed seems to have been beyond me and many others. The three different employers that I have had since the turning of the millennium (all while working ostensibly for the same company I might add) seem to be the rule rather than the exception these days, regardless of the industry involved. Ownership changes, Cutbacks, and layoffs seem to be the rule of the day recently; and for those us who are either necessary enough to our employers, or in my case, simply lucky enough to be getting a steady paycheck carry feelings of both fear and gratitude on a bi-weekly basis. 

Let’s be honest about this concept of changing employment though. Many of those whose futures are secured are never the less looking for the better position, the fatter paycheck, or change in employment simply for change sake of a change of scenery. For the sake of change as well, it often seems that we look to trade up our cars (though not so much lately) our homes, and sometimes even our marriages. 

We seem never content in our constant march forward on this road to change, with the big screen TV giving way to the flat screen, and the flat screen to the flat panel unit. Laptop computers and cell phones are now often replaced every two years, rather than simply replacing the batteries in them. Many children live with three and four pairs of grandparents and more uncles, aunts, and cousins than you can shake a stick at; the result of parents with multiple spouses. 

And what has all of this change gotten us? Are we happier or more fulfilled as a result? Are our lives less stressful because of the non-stop change that we seem to experience? Has the almost constant change made us more satisfied with our lot in life? 

In most cases, I expect that the answer would be no. The new technologies are exciting, but tend to make our lives more complicated, more hectic, and more stressful. Replacing cars, computers and cell phones stimulates the economy, but can leave a rather large hole in our checkbook. The ending of relationships in a mindless search for the next best thing can prove costly both financially and in human terms. 

With the distance of time and perspective, I have to say that I envy my father the stability that his career provided him in life. I can’t help but wonder if it helped to provide some of the piece of mind that he always seem to possess in life. I can’t help but wonder if this stability of career, that of his marriage, and that of his family reinforced each other to assist him in dealing with his experiences during the war. I wonder likewise whether all of these things contributed to the quality of his life. I wonder if perhaps we haven’t lost something we will never be able to recover with the constant rush towards change.