Reading Response: Working, Terkel. Selections by Pommier, Dante, Quaal, and Ruiz.
What intrigued me most about the selected readings was the amount of pride exuded by the people employed in, what many would consider, lower-class jobs. The parking attendant prided himself in his skill, how he could park a car "right in the hole" with only one hand. The waitress was filled with pride when customers requested her or when she was able to offer a bit of philosophy with her customers' morning coffee. The gravedigger considered it an honor that he was able to prepare graves for the dead and that he got to work outside all the time. The network announcer, though having a more "white-collar" job, still treated everyone with respect and never forgot his roots.
Reading these interviews makes one wonder why we even bother classifying careers based on "prestige" when people can take pride and enjoyment in any job! As Dolores Dante said, "I don't feel lowly at all. I myself feel sure. I don't want to change the job. I love it."
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