<VV> Bottom feeders defined (NO CORVAIR)

[henry kaczmarek]

To those interested---If not, go ahead and delete now---sorry for the
bandwidth and your having to click an extra time.

I was told by someone I used to consider a friend in this forum that if you
make less than 100K per year, you are a "bottom feeder".  That has been stuck
in my craw for about 3 years now, and thought for the rest of you to
understand what I am talking about when I mention "bottom feeder jobs" is
important.

Now there are obviously various species of bottom feeders, and that is where
the thing gets interesting.

The original reference to bottom feeders were public safety people. Policemen,
Sheriff's Deputies, I would guess that you would have to put Paramedics and
Firemen in with that group.

You see, in the narrow mind of the person who made the statement, what you do
for a living, and its importance, should only be measured by the amount of
money you make.

Altruism is obviously not important to that person.  People in public safety
usually make a career out of their job because they feel it is important to
their friends and neighbors to be safe. And they take a large amount of pride
and satisfaction knowing that they provide that safety.  There is NO price tag
you can put on that.

Firemen and paramedics take pride in the lives they have saved,  (I know of 3
lives I have saved myself, and hope only that when the day of Judgement
arrives, they will be taken into consideration) and knowing what they do
protects the property and health of their fellow citizens, most of whom they
won't ever know personally.  BTW, it takes real KAHONES to run into a burning
building when everyone else is running out.

Cops and Sheriff's Deputies look at it the same way.  There will always be
"Bad People" out there who have no respect for their fellow man or his
property, and have damn little respect for themselves. These people need to be
kept in check as much as is possible, and someone has to do the job.
Correction officers realize that they are little more than attendants of a day
care center for adults with little to no self control, but these people wreak
havoc on society, and someone has to keep them out of circulation, so
therefore the "Non Bottom Feeders"  can lord it over them that what they do
for a living is of little worth because the job doesn't pay 100K per year or
more, though IMO it should.

For other species-----a few examples

Your dealership Mechanic, who makes a comfortable living at around 50K per
year, is still a bottom feeder.  Most folks who own a modern car (post 1969)
can't do without them, when all the shade tree advice hasn't helped.  They
serve an important role, but they are still a bottom feeder, at only 1/2 of
the Non Bottom Feeder wage scale.

Many Doctors gross over 100K per year, but when all the expenses are paid for,
disposable income is usually around 60K.(depending on specialty of
course)...And it takes a bunch of altruism and compassion for your fellow man
to be a doctor.  What they have to go through to do what they do is NOT
do-able for the money alone.  Yet they could still be classified as a bottom
feeder.

The guy who strikes out in the true spirit of American Entrepreurism, and
starts his own business, toiling 12+ hours a day, many cases 7 days a week,
yet only clears say, 70K a year is still a "bottom feeder"..... The
satisfaction of providing for his family through his own sweat, and the use of
his wits,  has nothing to do with it.  Not making 100K per year,  You're a
bottom feeder, chum!!!

My personal financial situation isn't really anyone's business.  Sure I wish I
had more money, just about anyone does, even Non-Bottom Feeders.  But I know
this much.....

I have a lot more now than I did 7 years ago.
I am not unhappy in my life.
I have been married to a wonderful woman for over 25 years. We are a team, and
we come close (together) to being a non-bottom feeder family..
I have enough money now to contribute to charities that I feel important. And
will donate more this year than last.
I haven't loved every job I have had, and this one is no exception. Few people
are lucky enough to have a job that they would go to even if it didn't pay, as
they like it that much.

So If you now see that YOU are a bottom feeder, and are as happy in your life
as I am, well that goes to show you what some NON bottom feeders know.


 Certain Non Bottom Feeders can lie to themselves all they want.  The amount
of money one makes is a damn poor measure of happiness.  And having a career
that sounds "important" doesn't necessarily mean it will make you happy.

SO as the weekend comes, and many of us plan for 2 days off, and I plan for
one (sadly), and you now see that you're a bottom feeder, and you're
happy---REJOICE!!!

Regards==and apology for the long bandwidth.

Hank