My father worked on assembly lines in Detroit while I was growing up. Every day, I watched him do what he needed to do to support the family. But he told me, 'Life is short. Do what you want to do.'
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I'm a Detroit kid who grew up with that assembly line mentality: You go to work to make money.
I come from a blue collar family, but my personal life isn't. I didn't get the gene that my grandfather had in spades. He was a local hero. Built the church that I went to. Built the house I grew up in. Steamfitter, pipefitter, electrician, mechanic and plumber. I wanted to do those things. But it just didn't come easy.
My dad worked two jobs his whole life, and so I told him he's the reason I have 20 jobs.
Having my own family has made me realise there's more to life than chasing the next job.
When I look back, I did what I had to do for business and then fit family life into it.
For 50 years my father worked for the railroad.
When I spent time with my father, it wasn't playing ball in the back yard. I came to his office and listened to him do business or sat in on meetings. I walked job sites. On Saturday, we'd see my grandfather in Queens for a couple hours, and then he'd say, 'Let's go collect rent!'
I have a family to support. And I'm not always going to be doing exactly what I want to do.
Our grandparents' generation never expected too much out of life and, paradoxically, were happier for it. It never occurred to my granddad that he would enjoy work. He hated it from the day he walked through the factory gates at 14 to when he left at 65.
What I always say is, 'Do every job you're in like you're going to do it for the rest of your life, and demonstrate that ownership of it.'