I was a furniture mover on the South Side of Chicago, located in Roseland, back in the late 1970s. Back then, we (white people) could go into bars and restaurants all over Roseland; now it’s a de facto no-go war zone for my race. We did jobs all over the city, in rough neighborhoods, and in the best neighborhoods. Being a south suburbanite from a wealth community, with a physician father and upper middle class upbringing, it opened my eyes. I worked with rough guys, many of whom were Chicago Public School teachers working to make ends meet. I would not trade that experience for anything, and it’s a shame today’s teens and 20-somethings don’t do this type of work.
I agree, that kind of work makes you a real person and you appreciate more later on in life.