Well said Jim!

Jim Tourtillotte wrote:

> For the past few days I've been watching all the banter concerning job
> solicitations, and I've been quite surprised at how callous some of the
> responses have been. In the field of education there is a phrase "the tenure
> trap" that refers to losing the fire in the heart and no longer having the
> student in mind.
> Is it possible that there is a similar concept in this field? Have so many
> lost the perspective of the young student? These are young folks with the
> fire brightly burning, eager to get out into the world and begin their
> careers. Is it the huge salaries that are offered in this field that makes
> them so eager? Is it the working conditions? Is it the lure of fame and
> notariety they seek? Is it the admiration and respect of their friends and
> schoolmates they're looking for?
> No, it's the chance to get out there and work hard in poor conditions, sleep
> in poor accomodations, eating whatever is available, and making meager wages
> in a profession that uses employment terms like "gypsy."
> The reason they send you so much unsolicited correspondence is that they
> still have the fire in their hearts, and they want to make a difference. To
> them it's not just a job, it's an opportunity to make something of
> themselves and make a mark in the world.
> Isn't it just awful that you are being reminded on a monthly, weekly, or
> even daily basis, that there is a pool of eager young minds with strong
> backs and keen eyes, willing to do whatever it takes to make the kind of
> money you're offering?
> Don't you yearn for the good old days when you had to use your sister's
> teenage son to do your fieldwork, because there was nobody else available?
> All the other Anthropology/Archaeology majors were working (a decent
> schedule) for a living wage at the local (meaning not a remote site)
> hamburger joint (where they at least had the possibility of meeting someone
> who could whisk them away).
> Have we been out of the field so long we have forgotten what it is like to
> get started in this business?
> The opinions expressed are my own, since I don't currently have an employer!
> Jim Tourtillotte