In honor of Jos. A. Bank Clothiers and Steve Jobs

            I wrote one of the Simple Church Minute commentaries on work, and I was significantly more negative than anyone I know.  I did not do so for shock value, but because I have been at way too many employers for one person and lifetime, and found most to be ethically wanting.  I believe that that is somewhat a function of the times, in that much of our society’s businesses desire to walk as close to the edge of being unethical, if not illegal, as they can.  I don’t feel that was the case when my working career started.

            I am now 58, and my legs don’t work that good anymore.  I have been attempting to find solid work for nearly three years.  Three days ago, I started a new job; today, I had to admit that the amount of pain in my legs from just standing up was more than I could stand.  It was at Jos. A. Bank Clothiers.  I can say that, at least at the store I was at, during this short time I did not hear a negative word about the job and employer, nor did I pick up the slightest thing I perceived to be ethically questionable.  Yes, this is a premium product store, i.e. nothing in it is the lowest price in town, but, on the other hand, it is aimed at the market of businessmen.  It is such a rare thing, I had to mention it.  Yes, I know that my short experience could be contradicted by just one manager in some city that I don’t know even exists, but my experience, I perceive, is more likely the rule than the exception. 

            With that goes the news I just heard a few minutes ago of the passing of Steve Jobs.  One of the things about getting older is hearing more and more often, of famous persons, ones who have done positive things for society, passing away who are younger than oneself.  Now I fully well know that it wasn’t just that he tried hard, he was an exceptionally brilliant mind, who, additionally, was in the right part of world society at just the right time for the exact type of brilliance he was either best at or was most developed in him.  I guess that comes from reading an article a few weeks ago which mentioned that his father was of Syrian ancestry.  The opportunity he had probably wouldn’t have happened if an ancestor decided to stay in that country instead of move.

            All I can hope is that today once again motivates me to desire to do the best I can with whatever abilities I have, and the wisdom to absolutely know that, for me, standing up a lot is no longer one of them.