Fat and slack work ethic

I was talking with an older gentleman last week. This man started in radio in 1958, managing a small station. He ended up buying several stations in major markets and is one of the few broadcasters that are not in trouble, mainly because he has no debt and lots of assets. As we talked about the economic problems he shared a story with me, prefacing the story by saying that he believes we have gotten fat and slack in terms of our work ethic. “When I started out managing the station in 1958 I looked for salespeople everywhere. One of my favorite places was the bus station. I would watch people come off the bus and size them up. When I found one I would take them down to the thrift store and get them a couple of suits. When people are hungry they will work”. We aren’t willing to work that hard today, but the time may come when we will be willing to do whatever it takes.

When my friend got his start in radio it was during the 1950’s. This was an unusual time. We had finished the war to end all wars a decade before. We went through a recession after the war as 12 million men were suddenly unemployed. The fifties was a time of great growth and prosperity, but what made that happen? It helped that we were essentially the last man standing after the war. Most of the rebuilding fell upon us. But, we also had a work force that had been strengthened by trials. This was the generation that lived through the depression, fought the war and then experienced a recession when they came back from the war. They were tempered, hard working, disciplined and willing to do whatever it took to take care of their family. They weren’t thinking about the “toys” that they were going to buy, exotic vacations, 401 K’s or botox treatments. They were working to put a roof over their head and food in their family’s bellies. But, things got better and we soon began to experience unprecedented prosperity.

In less than 2 decades after the war it was all about “keeping up with the Jones’”. The “Greatest Generation” raised their kids to be the “Me Generation”. What went wrong? It is far more difficult to live with prosperity, than being poor. Prosperity makes us soft; when you are humbled God can work with you. You are willing to do whatever you have to and work your way up. Perhaps we need this dose of economic downturn to change the attitude and direction of our culture. Instead of Wii we will learn how to work.