An essential part of being a country boy is being able to weather the elements. I have personally been in some really nasty weather and have tried to get some work done even when it seemed impossible! The important part of all of this is having the right attire, and for the elements the most important thing is a jacket.
There are many kinds of jackets for many occasions. I recently went into a sporting goods store and Carhartt has launched a soft shell work jacket to compete with the soft shell outfitters of the world. For me I need 4 kinds of jackets. The first is my Carhartt, big and thick, this thing can stop a bullet. It's not the warmest but in its defense it was made to layer. The arms are usually polyester on the inside making it easy to slide a hoodie through it or another jacket. A work jacket or coat is essential especially on those cold days when you have work outside and you can't worry about it getting snagged on something and shredding.
The next one I need is a fleece. I use a North Face fleece with elbow pads as a base layer or if it isn't too cold I just wear it. A good soft shell would be nice in this situation too. These are especially nice because many are waterproof and windproof and also don't rip easy. They are quiet and flexible which are an essential for hunting or working outside. One way to test the jacket is to do the blow through test. Put it up to your lips and blow hard, if your breath goes through it it's not weatherproof but if it is woven tightly it won't allow your breath to go through and you know you have a good jacket. As I mentioned before, Carhartt makes one now that can be really useful but North Face, Mountain Hardware or any other major outdoor brands usually has them, including Target, their G9 line sells a pretty good one for cheap.
The third kind of jacket I use is a pea coat. I use it for nicer occasions, traveling, church etc... these are coming down in price and www.target.com has them for fairly cheap right now. Also check Old Navy.
The last is your go to, your hoodie, or quick jacket, something that you don't care if it gets dirty but you have it and it's been reliable. You mentally have to have one of these if you are a country boy, it's old faithful and you can wear it with anything. I sometimes wear a hoodie and my levi jacket. My wife almost throws up every time, but it's old faithful for me.
I think it's important to be prepared for almost every situation, not mentioned here are my ski jackets and my hunting clothes... also a must, but if you don't ski, don't worry about it and also hunting... sometimes a nice camo shell works just fin.
Staying warm is essential to being a country, you have to be able to do work and stay warm doing it.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Country boy jobs
I'm currently in the middle of talking to about four different industries about jobs. Investment banking, ad agency, financial services, and event planning. Through all of this I actually sat back and thought, "where do country boys work?" I've been thinking long and hard about this one, I'm not exactly sure where every country boy is but through a lot of time thinking and a rough survey I've come to a few conclusions, here they are in no particular order:
- Country boy jobs have to offer some sort of mobility and freedom. This stems from our roots of doing things with our hands and getting out and getting dirty. Even if you are in a career, if you're a country boy you really want to have some sort of mobility, maybe it's as little as from one floor to the next, or as much as one country to another, in the end, there has to be some physical mobility.
- The job has to have a result in the end. When were young we built stuff, we saw stuff constructed and had something to see as a result. Forts, pens, fences, barns etc... if we just check in everyday, turn the computer on and bang our heads against the wall just to be a cog in the wheel... we'll go nuts. That being said, there has to be a goal to work towards and something to see in the end.
- We have to be able to laugh at things. It's hard when you are in an environment that is so stinking rigid that you can't even throw out a redneck joke sometimes. I am pretty educated (I have an MBA) but that doesn't mean I'm pretty smart and sometimes I like to digress a little and talk about simple things and laugh with friends. If we are in an environment where we cannot do that... we'll go nuts.
- The job has to be in line with our values and understanding. I'll be honest, I'm sure there are country boy software engineers out there, you guys probably have this level met for you but for me, I have to understand it. I enjoy working with the Energy sector (read: oil) because it makes sense to me and I grew up around it. I believe in drilling and I understand it. If I'm going to be working with flux capacitors, probably not going to cut it for me.
- Last but not least, we as country boys have to be able to maintain our identities. Yep, we can't be forced to leave that behind. I don't care if you work on Wall Street, you are who you are and they cannot take your boots away from you. It is a sad day when you are forced to quit being you... don't do it, fight the power and stay true to your roots! (Read this wives... never try to change a country boy, you'll only get an angry man who will resent you for it.)
I think most of us country boys would agree, we would all love to have a farm or be working in the oil field somewhere but the reality is that it might be in our deck of cards right now... if we stay true to our country boy roots we'll get there.
Ultimately we are all bless with different God given talents, we have to utilize those and parlay those into a career, it can be any sort of career but whatever role you take within that industry, make sure you have the four things involved in your job.
- Country boy jobs have to offer some sort of mobility and freedom. This stems from our roots of doing things with our hands and getting out and getting dirty. Even if you are in a career, if you're a country boy you really want to have some sort of mobility, maybe it's as little as from one floor to the next, or as much as one country to another, in the end, there has to be some physical mobility.
- The job has to have a result in the end. When were young we built stuff, we saw stuff constructed and had something to see as a result. Forts, pens, fences, barns etc... if we just check in everyday, turn the computer on and bang our heads against the wall just to be a cog in the wheel... we'll go nuts. That being said, there has to be a goal to work towards and something to see in the end.
- We have to be able to laugh at things. It's hard when you are in an environment that is so stinking rigid that you can't even throw out a redneck joke sometimes. I am pretty educated (I have an MBA) but that doesn't mean I'm pretty smart and sometimes I like to digress a little and talk about simple things and laugh with friends. If we are in an environment where we cannot do that... we'll go nuts.
- The job has to be in line with our values and understanding. I'll be honest, I'm sure there are country boy software engineers out there, you guys probably have this level met for you but for me, I have to understand it. I enjoy working with the Energy sector (read: oil) because it makes sense to me and I grew up around it. I believe in drilling and I understand it. If I'm going to be working with flux capacitors, probably not going to cut it for me.
- Last but not least, we as country boys have to be able to maintain our identities. Yep, we can't be forced to leave that behind. I don't care if you work on Wall Street, you are who you are and they cannot take your boots away from you. It is a sad day when you are forced to quit being you... don't do it, fight the power and stay true to your roots! (Read this wives... never try to change a country boy, you'll only get an angry man who will resent you for it.)
I think most of us country boys would agree, we would all love to have a farm or be working in the oil field somewhere but the reality is that it might be in our deck of cards right now... if we stay true to our country boy roots we'll get there.
Ultimately we are all bless with different God given talents, we have to utilize those and parlay those into a career, it can be any sort of career but whatever role you take within that industry, make sure you have the four things involved in your job.
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