Had an amazing spontaneous chat with a woman from Michoacan, Mexico tonight. We met in passing on the 4th floor of the School of Business, as she and a colleague were dialogging in Spanish. We chatted soccer, Mexico's battle with cartel violence, and even got some relational advice. Haha.
Most notably, though, for me was her perspective on work. I was really stunned and refreshed by her comment in response to my question, "Y este trabajo, como ves?" ["How do you like this job?", essentially]. Cualquier trabajo noble es honrable, or something similar was her response. "Whatever noble job is honorable," roughly, was the translation I made out, after asking her to repeat the statement. She elaborated, "Whatever isn't in robbery or crime...".
Wow.
Here I am splitting hairs over some, frankly, great opportunities before me, when, really, at the end of the day, what she shared is true. Whatever job that is noble is honorable. This is not the first time that I have learned a very valuable lesson from a Mexican friend, and it will no doubt not be the last. Isalia mentioned another student who vowed that he'd make it rich and one day "remember her [and her colleagues]," and even offer them a job one day. I would hope for the same, or much better...but whatever is honorable, most importantly.
3 comments:
That's great! "Good word right there!"
I heard a quote that encouraged me as I am in transition between graduating and finding a career job, and until then having to work a simple job.
I was watching a tv family show where the father is a farmer. A rich girl in the town teases his daughter about being from a poor family, and makes fun of her dad and says he stinks from laboring. When the Dad hears about it from his kid, he is not at all ashamed. He said, "Any job a man can do to make his way in this world is a decent job, as long as he works hard at it and does his best. You know, God didn't put sweat in a man's body for no reason. He put it there so he could work hard, cleanse himself and feel good."
How beautiful.
Thanks, Ashia. It's a timely reminder now once again, in case you didn't see my latest post yet. Lol.
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