Month: March 2020

Back in high school I had a teacher I disagreed with on everything. His style of teaching, his economic and political beliefs, his religious beliefs, and his views on technology. However, I was thinking back on something he said just now and he was right.

One day in school he told us we should pick 3 careers. A college career, a economic decline career, and a society has fallen career. To sum them up. At the time I thought it was dumb. Programmers would always be needed and society wouldn’t crash. With the on going Corona issue I’m starting to see what he meant. I do not believe society will crash. If it does, unless nukes go a flying, will pick back up in a few years. This is also the part that has me thinking. What are my skills?

College career: A college career is one you need training in and a degree for. For instance computer science, doctor, teacher, electrical engineering, physicist, etc…
What is mine? Computer Science and teaching. I’m lucky enough to be able to pick up computers fast. Learning a new OS, programming language, programs, or what have you is pretty easy for me. So, in a bind if someone is willing to train me in computers I’ll pick it up in a snap and do my best.

I am also lucky enough to good at teaching others. Which many may find odd, but once I do a few lessons with someone I can adjust to them and work on teaching better and easier. Usually I start way too hard to just test and then ramp down until I get to their level. Some people like it some don’t, but once I get a few sessions in I am on your level and able to help you excel. I know to use basic language, to not use the word for a related definition, adjust if they aren’t getting it, and more. The definition thing gets a lot of people. “What is depression?” “To be depressed”. It is a common answer but a useless fucking definition. If the person doesn’t understand the idea of depression then assume they don’t understand depressed. Teach them what depressed is and then say depression is the state of that. “Depression is the state of mind where you’re at extreme levels of sadness. However, depression isn’t caused by something making you said. Instead it is usually something more extreme. Like, dropping your ice cream isn’t depression but sadness. Being at the point where nothing you do can make you happy, you no longer enjoy life, have problems finding motivation to do stuff, and you just feel stressed/crushed/or down all the time is what depression is.” Sure, it is a bit complex and wordy but it is a much better definition. When someone doesn’t understand something, especially an idea, you need to be detailed. Trying to use simple words helps too. If they then say “Oh,it’s being depressed!” then you know they have the idea. Else if they give an example that matches it they understand. Yes by the way, I see people giving definitions before of “Depression is being depressed”.

End of society skill: This is a skill set that is important if just society collapses. This could be farming, smithing, medical, carpentry, crime, prostitution, etc… A lot of these are skills that combine with college and economic decline careers. However, these will always be important. Medical is always needed. Unfortunately programmers and teachers aren’t. If there’s no computers and no need to teach my skills aren’t needed. If there’s not need to teach people college or “skilled” jobs then there’s no need to teach. End of the world these skills are worthless.

Luckily, I know how to garden and grow a small amount of fruits and veggies. I also know basics of medical to some advanced stuff due to friends who were military medics, family of doctors, and nurses teaching me this stuff. Also almost every job requiring me to be the on site medic until ambulance gets there. I was also in tech theater in college so I know a bit about building stuff, measuring wood, testing wood, and such but not a lot. Then due to an unfortunate upbringing I picked up stealing, pick pocketing, and more criminal activities at a young age. If push comes to shove I have a few ways to make myself useful until someone more trained comes by and can either train me or replace me. If worst comes to worst I have my crime set to go off of.

Economic Decline: This is a skill set that is good for when society isn’t doing to well. Basically jobs that are always needed. These are less accounting and more mechanic, medical, farmers, carpentry, hands on engineers,crime, police officer, etc… This is my issue. I realised I don’t really have any economic decline skills. “Didn’t you just list ….” yeah, but in an economic decline anyone with small medical training isn’t as needed as someone with a lot. Same for programming, teachers, carpentry, and farming. I can pick these up in a time of need but at that point many are trying to learn these skills and people will only want to hire the best of the best. That’s where my issue lies. I’m not actually trained in any of these jobs. Right now with a decline in the economy things are looking dicey. If enough parents drop out of my school unfortunately I’ll be axed. However, a teacher left and another is thinking of leaving. I’ve been asking for more work so I am hoping they see I want to stay.

But push comes to shove here I am kind of screwed. Like many I do not have an economic decline job. We were not raised to have them in the US. Due to odd upbringings I was able to pick up society decline skills. I wish I had understood what my teacher meant in high school, I don’t think anyone did. He was a bad teacher who couldn’t explain anything.

The point of this? Learn from my mistake and his wisdom. If you are young enough and have the time. Pick up a economic decline and end of society skill. Then pick up a college skill if you want. A college skill will lead to a better life. Engineers and lawyers are always paid well. Economic decline jobs are always needed. We need plumbers, truck drivers, welders, etc… Money may not be the best but we need them. You show that talent during an economic decline and you’re guaranteed to have a job. Society declines are obviously last resort and are great to have for various reasons. So, try to learn one of each. Broaden your horizons. anything can happen and you should be prepared.

-Paranoid Joshua