Ol' Si has seen much change in the world, the country, and our culture. The Valley has had a lot to do with the changes in the culture. Beyond just the effects of technology - chips, software, the Internet, smartphones. The entire 'start up culture' is the way many professionals in the US, and most in The Valley work. Given the decline in traditional 8-5 industrial and business professions, there has to be long term consequences.
Back in the day, my dad had a Union job. Did his 8 hours, came home to a nice meal. House was generally clean, food was hot, laundry was done. Mom worked part time as a receptionist - few women with families had full time gigs. Money was tight. We wore old clothes, had a used car, and just got by each month. But, my parents did have free time. Many to most of the parents had some outside interest that helped hold the community together. Maybe your mom was an aid at the Hospital, volunteering a few hours a week. Your dad may have been a sports coach, a church Elder, or ran the Kiwanis pancake breakfast charity event for the Boy's Club. Everyone did something.
Actually wasn't that hard, as the evenings and weekends were free... few people put in the 12 hour days we consider normal in The Valley. Fast forward to today. Who does that work in the community?
Looking around The Valley, the volunteers at museums, hospitals, and such are all either college students who couldn't find paying jobs or retired people. Not bad or good, just different. The moms and dads don't have much spare time, as they work, come home, and work some more. The internet has connected the world, but has also disconnected many from their communities. Ol' Si helps when he can, but it is difficult when I am working. Not much gas in the tank after a 12 hour session with QA chasing down Priority 1 bugs in a product.
I did enjoy coaching my nephew's baseball team a few years ago. I say coaching, but I really did everything but. Shagged balls in the outfield, groomed the field before the game, made sure the kids were not having lightsaber fights with the aluminum bats. I was between jobs one of the seasons and helped out. Tough part was holding together a coaching staff. We had 6 dads/relatives as coaches, but at any given time 4 were at a work crisis or in China. There were times when we had to help BOTH teams, as the other kids were there with no coaches. I knew that the dads would go to extreme lengths to be with their kids if there was any chance. One dad would do a red-eye from New York each Friday so he could help drag the field for the Saturday game. You knew you were in The Valley when an unemployed programmer was a dirty mess from putting a chalk line on the field before a Little League game. But, not as dirty as his helper, a dad who just made $50M from an IPO.
Looking at the younger guys, I see workers who put in long hours, longer than Ol' Si did at his peak. I wonder if they can sustain it, and what the result on our society will be if they have children. Career or kids; tough to do a good job at both given their pace. Evidence from Europe shows that these workers will simply not have children. Euros make the decision because of taxes, we make it because of time.
The special genes that made The Valley what it is will not matter if they die with the owner.
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