What we used to call Labor Day

• September 3, 2014
• politics  

If you’re not reading Charlie Pierce why not? His article about the meaning of the US holiday “Labor Day” made me weep. I’m one of those people he talks about. As a teenager I seriously considered becoming a forest ranger because I believed that conserving our natural resources for future generations was important.

I ultimately decided to become a programmer (i.e., IT professional) because it was thrilling making something as stupid as a computer do something useful. I did not choose that career because I thought it would make me rich. I can’t honestly claim to have been that prescient.

I don’t regret my decision to become a programmer. I do regret my opposition to joining the the Oregon Public Employees Union (OPEU, now AFSCME) in my first job after leaving college. At that time I was in my early twenties and considered the union dues unnecessary to my future well being. Three decades later I shake my head in dismay at my stupidity.