“What does your dad do for a living?”
“He manages business.”
This exchange between Kevin Arnold and a classmate from the Wonder Years illustrates a common theme among kids of all ages – we had no idea what our parents did for a living (especially dad!).
In light of Father’s Day’s being right around the corner, I wanted to share clips from the third episode of the Wonder Years – “My Father’s Office.”
The episode is a brilliant commentary on the intermingling between work and family – or the lack thereof.
Long before Office Space had their TPS Reports, poor Jack Arnold was pushing S14 Forms as a manager of distribution and product support services for NORCOM.
KEVIN: What’s your office like?
JACK: It’s an office. Four walls, a ceiling, a door.
There were other lessons too.
JACK: Tell you what, Kevin, it is time you learned about the most important part of the working day…
the coffee break.
I remember the handful of times I went up to work with my dad. It was like they added a holiday to the calendar. The suits and ties, his obnoxiously-sized office and the mystery of not having a clue what he did was a recipe for pure excitement. Not to mention I’d get to sniff dry erase markers and load up my pockets with as many Post-It pads and binder clips that I could carry!
Dad was right: being an adult sucks.
Of course, it doesn’t help that folks my age (early 30s) earn less then our parents did. I think we also have less responsibilities, more managers, crappier workspaces and, despite the Age of Political Correctness, we’re treated worse.
I think many of our folks would be surprised to see how we live day-to-day if there was a “Take Your Parents to Work Day.”
So, let’s have a little contest. Leave a comment below that relates to this post. It can be your favorite memory of going into work with one of your parents or the age you found out what dad actually does for a living. Just keep it father and work-related and you’ll be entered to win one of two cool prizes:
$50 GAP Gift Card
OR
A complete resume overhaul
Specify which prize you prefer with your comment. Winners will be randomly selected and announced next week. So please subscribe now to the blog and the podcast so you don’t miss out!
In the meantime, I encourage you to watch the Wonder Years clip below or read the script.
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