Honesty About Labor

(Never fear, this post will not be about childbirth.)

Today is not Labor Day in Kenya.  I don’t even know if they have a salute to Labor here.  However, in hiring Lydia, I had my first contact with employment.

I interviewed three highly qualified women who had recommendations recorded with the U.S. Embassy.  To begin each interview, I asked each woman, “What do you want out of a job?'”  In the U.S., I’ve been asked this question dozens of times.  Each time, I prepare an answer about self-growth, skill acquisition, or some other type of self-improvement that the job will afford me.  But this is not the kind of answer I received from the perspective nannies.  When asked, each told me their salary requirements and any other bonuses they expected.  At first I was put off by this response.  I wanted to know if they preferred childcare or home management.  But, upon deeper reflection, I think there is a real honesty in their answers.  They aren’t nannies because they love children (even though I’m sure they do).  They work to bring home a salary, to pay for daily needs, food, clothing, and school fees.  And so this is the true answer to my question. 

Am I delusional when I think that work can hold the key to self-improvement?  Or should I rethink my relationship with work?

Happy Labor Day!