Imagine, if you will, you decide the best idea in the entire world is to throw out any form of ambition and education, say “To Hell With it” and take up a job working Day Labor because it’s the type of work that requires little to no education? Imagine taking up work as an erotic dancer as the credentials there don’t even require a high school education (and for some, even legal age of consent) to pursue a booze-fueled cocaine-induced “Quick Money” scheme? I say all this, not just to provoke thought, but also to reflect upon the truth I’ve seen for the past 13 years since I graduated high school.
Before you exercise the “Straw man” argument
Let me begin by saying I’m not arbitrarily trying to demean those that work in adult entertainment or perform day labor jobs nor am I implying that every person that’s worked in either profession is a high school dropout. Most of my young adulthood was spent in those very walls and rooms where I’d pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to entertain curiosity and drunk mistakes. Not to mention, there’s been unfortunate situations that have lead me to take up day labor or “Under the Table” to make ends meet. Since I’m a high school graduate with a skilled trade and college experience, you’d think I could easily find work. At times, I could, at times I couldn’t.
It varies from occupation to occupation (as I’ve performed many).
Regardless of how this essay started, the fact remains that employment options for high school dropouts is very limited. While it could be attributed by lack of work experience in any profession, it’s usually a lack of credentials that leads to the downfall of many high school graduates, especially those that are much older and have neither the time nor inclination to pursue higher education.
So, what are you saying?
One example that I can name in my personal life would be my former neighbor. It’s been ages since I’ve seen him much less remembering his name as I only saw him in passing. But what I do know is that he met a woman at a homeless shelter and he felt that it was best to get her pregnant, whilst lacking any credible education or work experience outside of day labor and working under the table.
The man couldn’t even spell his own name (not right, his own name, he couldn’t write) much less apply for a position without the assistance of many to help with allocating resources and paperwork. A man in his 40’s who could barely pay child support for his first born and is about to bring another into the world. To say the least, I’ll leave personal opinions out of this.
Not My Place
As much as I’d like to say this is a case of the teapot calling the kettle black, it’s just pure honesty at best. That was but one example of the hundreds of would-be deviants in our life time that felt that something as fundamental as a high school education is something to for-go whether because of a lack of acclimation, family problems, or other such related issues. Sadly, one of the leading causes of children dropping out of high school has been due to failing too many classes. But who am I to judge, I’m a college student in his thirties…
