Jobs:
40+ years ago I began working as a simple deck hand on fishing boats in New England.
I worked hard and learned everything I could from anyone willing to teach me.
The money was far from great back then but I loved the work.
Back in the day when we were getting the gear ready for the next trip there would be guys hanging around the dock watching us, praying a last minute job became available and they’d get picked.
Looking for a job on a boat is called “pounding the docks”.
You’d see guys everywhere, on every dock, in every bar looking for a job or what is called “a site”.
As I stated, the money then was not great but it was a living, for a few years anyway.
For one 10 day trip in Feb. 1982 we worked in storm force weather (winds of 54 knots or higher) where we had to stop fishing multiple times to clear the boat of ice build up.
I’ve never been so cold or more miserable in all my years at sea than I was that trip.
All we did was either shovel rocks or snow and ice and we barely caught anything.
My pay after taxes was $94.93
I’m all busted up now, my fishing days are over.
Here’s the thing that kills me.
The deck hands today who do the exact same work as I did for $94.93 are now making anywhere from $7k to as much as $20k for a single 8-12 day trip.
You’d think the docks would be swarming with men looking to break into the industry today.
Guys working a full year now “ on deck” are making $200-$300k.
The docks are like a ghost town. No men pounding the docks, looking.
Captains are struggling to find a full crew.
Boats are going out short handed or they are being worked by immigrants from Guatemala these days.
I’m sorry to say this but so many young guys today really just don’t want to work.
It kills that these boats can’t find crews.
All I ever wanted from a boy was to work on the ocean, to be a fisherman.
Right when I was ready to break out in the industry I had to turn my back and walk away.
Either abandon my wife and kids because I just couldn’t make enough money to support us or find other work.
I found other work but my heart will always be with the boats.
Yeah, there are jobs today and when I heard POTUS say we need immigrants, honest hard workers who come here legally I looked at the fleet and had to agree with him.
The son of a good friend who I helped to get on the boats made $175,000 last year, his second year in the business gets calls daily when he is in from Skippers almost begging him to come work their boat.
I just don’t get it.
How can this be?
The battle POTUS is fighting is far larger and more complex than can be fathomed by most.
This is just one simple example of the mess this country and the world is in.
God help us all !
Thank You President Trump.
Thank You for fighting for us.
Do we even deserve it?
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