The Shoe Salesman
In a previous devotion, I mentioned that I sold shoes while in college (and after I started teaching). What I didn’t mention was how lucrative it was for me. Minimum wage, at the time, was $3.35 per hour. But our earnings were either the greater of minimum wage, or 10% commission. I averaged $10 per hour. By way of comparison, I started my first teaching job as a college graduate at around $13,900 per year so around $6.68 per hour.
Anyway, $10 per hour, according to the inflation adjustment calculator on the internet, would be equivalent to about $32 per hour today. A lot of people would be very happy making over $30 per hour, especially without a specialized degree or training.
The manager of the store, with her bonus, made about $28,000. Again, if we use the 3 X factor, this is a current salary of about $84,000. Pretty dang good. But obviously, you need to have the skills to sell, manage inventory and staff but no specialized education that requires years of study and significant expense to obtain.
“Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have. ’When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation? ’you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers, ’in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.’” - Genesis 46:31-34 ESV
When our son was in 4th grade, he declared that he wanted to be garbage man. My wife told him to be the best garbage man he could be. This same decision process repeated itself when he was a freshman in college. He was debating whether he wanted to remain an engineering major or change to be a music major. We both told him to pursue what would make him happy recognizing that each choice has ramifications. He eventually decided to remain an engineering major and graduated thusly.
“What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.” - Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 ESV
If you are considering what you want to be when you grow up (at any age), my recommendation is to consider what occupation will make you happy at a higher priority than the money to be made. And, if you are almost college age, consider this very carefully before you go into significant debt if that potential occupation isn’t what you’ll truly get joy from doing.
