Discrimination

Wesspur
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beastmaster

beastmaster

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Discrimination comes in many shapes and sizes. Being a white guy in Southern Calif. I have often times been the only white guy on the crew, it wasn't easy sometimes. The biggest results of years of this is I learn how to make friends and win respect. I also have the side effect of having some close friends I may not of had otherwise.
This new discrimination isn't as straight forward or as easy to handle.
I've lately had 3 for sure guaranteed for sure jobs pulled out from under me at the last minute. Went to yet another interview after my resume being read. Talking to the guy I mentioned the last company that pulled out on me, he knew the guy. Come to find out it's my age. Even this guy said he would be taking a chance on me. I could fall out of a tree, have a stroke in the tree or heart attack, my mind isn't as sharp as it was. Talk about feeling small.
I'm a top man on any crew. I have a work ethic that seems to be lacking a lot today. He going to try me out he said. Put me with his foreman so he can watch me(make sure I don't break a hip)told me not to push it to hard. This job is removing bug trees around Yosamite, a job I'm very well suited. I know their desperate for climbers, or I wouldn't be getting this chance. Maybe this Is my last ride as a production climber working with big timber, it my first love as a climber. I plan on shining and being the pro I .
 
beastmaster said:
Discrimination comes in many shapes and sizes. Being a white guy in Southern Calif. I have often times been the only white guy on the crew, it wasn't easy sometimes. The biggest results of years of this is I learn how to make friends and win respect. I also have the side effect of having some close friends I may not of had otherwise.
This new discrimination isn't as straight forward or as easy to handle.
I've lately had 3 for sure guaranteed for sure jobs pulled out from under me at the last minute. Went to yet another interview after my resume being read. Talking to the guy I mentioned the last company that pulled out on me, he knew the guy. Come to find out it's my age. Even this guy said he would be taking a chance on me. I could fall out of a tree, have a stroke in the tree or heart attack, my mind isn't as sharp as it was. Talk about feeling small.
I'm a top man on any crew. I have a work ethic that seems to be lacking a lot today. He going to try me out he said. Put me with his foreman so he can watch me(make sure I don't break a hip)told me not to push it to hard. This job is removing bug trees around Yosamite, a job I'm very well suited. I know their desperate for climbers, or I wouldn't be getting this chance. Maybe this Is my last ride as a production climber working with big timber, it my first live as a clumber. I plan on shining and being the pro I .
Click to expand...

I bet you saw this coming,
Anyway, for a company to come out and say out loud to you the reason's that you say, that is discrimination, most company's will say they will call you when they make a decision,
California is a 'Right to work" state,
My friend is 54 and he stills climbs, he said he will just work until he drop's.
He does not want responsibility, he does not want to move to management with a good company,,,,
Sounds like you? maybe?
Company's make decisions, but they do not have to say why, and I doubt they will hire a climber that has aged,,
There is not a lot of work for a sub contract climber these days,,
the late 70's and 80's and into the early 90's were great,,
those days are gone,
I knew that at 40 years old, glad I made the move,
the last 15 years as a manager have been really good,
Either you are gonna climb till you drop or come up with another plan,
Jeff :hi:
 
jefflovstrom said:
I bet you saw this coming,
Anyway, for a company to come out and say out loud to you the reason's that you say, that is discrimination, most company's will say they will call you when they make a decision,
California is a 'Right to work" state,
My friend is 54 and he stills climbs, he said he will just work until he drop's.
He does not want responsibility, he does not want to move to management with a good company,,,,
Sounds like you? maybe?
Company's make decisions, but they do not have to say why, and I doubt they will hire a climber that has aged,,
There is not a lot of work for a sub contract climber these days,,
the late 70's and 80's and into the early 90's were great,,
those days are gone,
I knew that at 40 years old, glad I made the move,
the last 15 years as a manager have been really good,
Either you are gonna climb till you drop or come up with another plan,
Jeff :hi:
Click to expand...
I know your right Jeff. I've passed up a lot of good opportunitys. I worked as a foremen on the ground, and all I wanted was to get back up the trees. I don't even blame these company's. Maybe I'm just venting. I use to work enough so I could fish a few days a week. So long as I had gas money, the best tackle, and a good kayak I was living large. Now I went and got married. No more need be said. Ha
I'm working on my contractor's lic. And trying to save up to start my own small tree service. Half my income now comes from people who's trees I've been doing for years. I could do ok I think. Just isn't ready yet.
 
Good luck to you, Wade,
Sounds like management may intimidate you,
it did me, I am learning every day, I manage 16 different personalities,
every vehicle and every piece of equipment, every chainsaw, every truck and chipper and all that those entail,
every tire on every truck, every first aid kit that may be not full, think about climbing till u drop,,,
Jeff fully stocked,
let us not forget every fire extinguisher ,etc,,
I guess the difference is you have to let go of what you did before and use that knowledge as a teaching lesson,
You ain't gonna out climb these young guys, but you have a lot to share with them,
I do not know how to market that but you should try, and maybe shave!
Jeff :cheers:
 
jefflovstrom said:
Good luck to you, Wade,
Sounds like management may intimidate you,
it did me, I am learning every day, I manage 16 different personalities,
every vehicle and every piece of equipment, every chainsaw, every truck and chipper and all that those entail,
every tire on every truck, every first aid kit that may be not full, think about climbing till u drop,,,
Jeff fully stocked,
let us not forget every fire extinguisher ,etc,,
I guess the difference is you have to let go of what you did before and use that knowledge as a teaching lesson,
You ain't gonna out climb these young guys, but you have a lot to share with them,
I do not know how to market that but you should try, and maybe shave!
Jeff :cheers:
Click to expand...
My wife agrees a 100% especially the shaving part:)
 
Age is just a number. The guy that does heavy equipment work for us is in his mid 70s and can nearly outwork me. While I've brought wood to people in their 30s and they acted like stacking a cord of wood was the hardest thing they've done in years (maybe it was, I dunno!)
 
jefflovstrom said:
Good luck to you, Wade,
Sounds like management may intimidate you,
it did me, I am learning every day, I manage 16 different personalities,
every vehicle and every piece of equipment, every chainsaw, every truck and chipper and all that those entail,
every tire on every truck, every first aid kit that may be not full, think about climbing till u drop,,,
Jeff fully stocked,
let us not forget every fire extinguisher ,etc,,
I guess the difference is you have to let go of what you did before and use that knowledge as a teaching lesson,
You ain't gonna out climb these young guys, but you have a lot to share with them,
I do not know how to market that but you should try, and maybe shave!
Jeff :cheers:
Click to expand...

You forgot to mention hitch pins.
 
Called a guy someone recommended to replace a security light on a pole. I didn't want do the work 25 feet up a ladder. He came out and I thought who is this dude shuffling up the driveway who should be in a nursing home. I was 52 years old thinking that. He proceeded to tell me that helped build that house back in 1964 and that my grandmother would bake them a cake every afternoon. I couldn't say no. Well, I let him go to work with great reservation. But let me tell you he was the most efficient craftsman I had ever seen. I was amazed that he completed the job in 30 minutes when it would have taken me at least an hour. Every move he made was planned with efficiency. And I was very humbled to participate as his helper. Don't sell yourself short. Always remember that youth and vigor is no match against age and treachery.
 

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