Chat with a retired molder at the shop changed how I look at burnout

Old guy named Pete who worked at Bethlehem Steel for 30 years stopped by our shop in Pittsburgh. Told me he used to work 16 hour days in the summer without complaining. Said 'you kids today worry too much about your feelings, just pour the iron.' Hit different because he was right but also wrong. Anyone else had a veteran tell you something that stuck with you?

3 comments

3 Comments

cora_west56d agoRising Star

Nailed it @juliaa65. Repressing stuff just trades one burnout for another.

juliaa656d ago

Figure out that maybe Pete's generation had a different kind of burnout they just didn't have a word for. They poured iron for 16 hours but lots of them drank themselves to sleep or checked out emotionally at home. So while he's right that we might overthink our feelings, ignoring them entirely isn't exactly the healthy alternative either.

rose_clark816d ago

Gotta push back a little here @cora_west5 and @juliaa65. Pouring iron for 16 hours and then drinking yourself numb is exactly the kind of burnout that gets the job done. They didn't spend years in therapy unpacking why they felt tired, they just woke up and did it again the next day. Overthinking your feelings is a luxury that Grandpa didn't have because he was too busy keeping the lights on. Sometimes ignoring the noise is the only way to get through the day.