Joe reports feeling "cheated out of life" while watching other kids prance around in new clothes and arrive in new cars to church (139). But who can blame him? People still make judgements about others through material items. For some reason U.S. citizens seem to be very concerned with their 'social class' and who is above or below them. Soon after Joe began working in the same shop as his dad, he got an opportunity to go elsewhere and work with GM. After thinking long and hard, he takes the job because, as he realized, "There was no future for me in Altoona" (139). In doing so, he claimed he knew he'd have to "work a little harder, get down to it and grind" (139). And he did just that; however, it came with a price. Not only was the work of a foreman physically taxing, but stressful and time consuming. On page 138 Mike recalls looking at a photo of his uncle as he sat at the dining room table, "cup of black coffee before him" with the window shade half open despite the darkness outside (139). "He is in his mid-thirties and looks tired, chin resting in the palm of his hand (138). This depicts a fairly young man who has been over-worked long before his time.
I think the reason he put forth so much time, hard work, and effort, not to mention the "pain--the pressure, the long hours, [and] the toll on his health -", into his job was so that his children would not have to experience life as he did. He obviously succeeds with this because on page 138 it says that his daughter is a graphic designer. A career that requires a college education.
I also really like the fact that Mike Rose applauds those who often go unnoticed for what they do. For example, his uncle performed more tasks in his job than many 'white-collar' workers often do. Just because it is a different type of work should not make it any less valuable.
By Elise Fichtel
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