Titles.

WV Sawmiller · February 05, 2017, 07:44:11 PM

We had a monument and a chain link fence business and late in life Dad started signing some things and adding PhD on the end. Some of his friends challenged him and said "I know you didn't even graduate HS. How do you justify signing something with PhD?" Dad told them, "I am not lying or exaggerating. I am a Post hole Digger."

fishpharmer · February 05, 2017, 08:43:23 PM

Quote from: Gearbox on February 05, 2017, 06:47:48 PM
The title I like best is DAD or GRANDPA .

Feel the same!

Brucer · February 05, 2017, 08:47:43 PM

"She tells all her friends that I've got my PHD. It stands for Post Hole Digger, it ain't exactly a degree".
- Fred Eaglesmith.

I have a fairly irreverent attitude about past titles, at least as far as my own are concerned. I confess that I'll sometimes play with someone a bit, if he takes his own title a little too seriously. I've got a long list of past titles -- I just have to stick "former" in front of them and misuse them as appropriate ;D.

Having said that, I always call my doctor and my dentist by their proper title as a sign of my respect for their hard-earned skills. If I didn't respect their skills, I wouldn't be seeing them for very long anyway. My new dentist asked me to call her by her first name, so I do -- it shows respect for her wishes.

And like Gearbox, I really prefer Dad and Grandpa.

paul case · February 05, 2017, 08:57:48 PM

Jeff,
Did you ever work on any famous midgets? You could add that on and you would be the famous midget doctor. ;D

I think very little too. I think that makes me a midget thinker?

PC

WV Sawmiller · February 05, 2017, 09:36:10 PM

Brucer,

I am with you on most titles. I worked with quite a few Filipinos in Saudi starting in the '90s and they often called each other "Engineer ___" and seemed to have greater respect for that profession than I did. Not an easy degree but as far as i was concerned with was still a 4 year/BS degree. I worked with our American Engineers daily and we/they did not act like deserved some kind of exalted reverence.

I am in agreement with affording Doctors and Dentists more respect.

dnalley · February 05, 2017, 11:29:10 PM

patience...or patients. finally i understand.

Ljohnsaw · February 06, 2017, 01:29:04 AM

I have always been a tinkerer since I was a kid - inspired by my dad. He would always try something. Recently, I've been mentoring my son's robotics team and we got to talking about building a cabin with lumber I'm milling with my homemade mill.

"Really?" they ask. And then they ask what I do for a living. I keep wanting to say I'm unemployed but I tell them I'm retired. They give me a frustrated look and say, no, what did you do for a living. I tell them I was a computer department manager. Then the questions go on as to how do you know how to build stuff and such. I just tell them, you never know what you can do until you try. What's the worst that can happen? You can't do it. Not the end of the world... Amazing how many people are so narrowly focused on what the can and cannot do! Life is all about taking chances and learning.

LeeB · February 06, 2017, 06:13:22 AM

I've worked oilfield most of my career and I have a title these days. Most of the time I either tell folks that I dig holes in the water or that I'm oilfield trash. Among a lot of us older oilfield guys it was, and to me still is, a thing to be proud of to be known as oilfield trash. A lot of folks look down on what I do, kinda like they look down on the forest products industry, but I'm proud of my job. To those that don't like what I do, I say they can feel free to sit in the dark and freeze. By the way, although I don't tell most people my title unless they specifically ask what I do on my job, I'm proud of it. For a reprobate high school drop out I've managed to do well for myself.

LeeB · February 06, 2017, 06:14:41 AM

Oh yeah, Pawpaw is my favorite title by far. Dad runs pretty close.

slider · February 06, 2017, 08:01:15 AM

When asked i tell them i trucked for over 40 years and still do some.Now after getting i the tree business i am the head yard raker.It is not a glorious title but it makes the women happy when we leave things looking good.
As for wall mart parking lot's.Jeff down here we call that shooting over a baited field.

gspren · February 06, 2017, 09:26:17 AM

At the Army Research Lab where I worked (machinist) I occasionally received mail that had PHD behind my name, I thought it stood for "Pretty Heavy Dude".

loggah · February 06, 2017, 10:11:01 AM

I never earned much of a title,in many of the different ways i earned a living !

But no matter how down i felt or when we start feeling a bit sorry for our selfs, after a trip to the local Wal-mart i usually feel pretty good. ;D

Ox · February 06, 2017, 12:29:28 PM

Quote from: Jeff on February 05, 2017, 07:35:01 PM
Quote from: Ox on February 05, 2017, 07:10:57 PM
Tell me more about being a midget dr.?

It's simple. I have very little patience. ;)

The wit is strong with this one. :laugh:

WV Sawmiller · February 06, 2017, 01:10:50 PM

There was a whole list out of things to do when bored in Wal-Mart (Not that anyone should ever get bored in a Wal-Mart). They included things like putting EPT kits in old ladies baskets when they weren't watching, hiding in the clothing and telling people "Help Me" when they take an item off the rack, skipping down the aisles, etc.

Brucer · February 07, 2017, 12:33:22 AM

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on February 05, 2017, 09:36:10 PM
I worked with quite a few Filipinos in Saudi starting in the '90s and they often called each other "Engineer ___" and seemed to have greater respect for that profession than I did.

That's an interesting observation, Howard. In a lot of countries it's very common to refer to a professional engineer with the title "Engineer ______". It's not the engineers themselves that are promoting the practice. It's just a common cultural practice.

Most of the engineers I've worked with were down-to-earth types who weren't the least bit worried about their title. My only gripe was that not enough of them spent time with the people who had to install/use their designs. I figure it was mostly pressure from management to stay in the office and design things.

Of course there were always a few who acted as though a piece of paper on the wall and an iron ring on their finger made them superior.

LeeB · February 07, 2017, 05:05:11 AM

In the ME, and Egypt in particular, the title engineer is a major big thing. Many companies won't hire anyone with out it. Having said that, what I've seen my several years of working over here is that the title, and degree are not worth much more than the paper they are printed on. :

Sheepkeeper · February 07, 2017, 07:17:10 AM

Quote from: Brucer on February 07, 2017, 12:33:22 AM

Most of the engineers I've worked with were down-to-earth types who weren't the least bit worried about their title. My only gripe was that not enough of them spent time with the people who had to install/use their designs. I figure it was mostly pressure from management to stay in the office and design things.

The same can be said about architects. When I worked in the custom shop of the door factory my co-worker and I would often look at the latest blueprint and say almost in unison "Architects!". They know what looks good on paper but they don't have to build it.

Magicman · February 07, 2017, 07:35:03 AM

I do not mind if any customer calls me by my first name. No problem whatsoever regardless of their age. My customer yesterday referred to me as Mr. Lynn. I understand and appreciate his respect for his "elders". He had been taught to use good manners and respect as a child.

Now if/when they refer to me as Mr. Davis, I always correct them and tell them that that (Tom) was my Dad.

bucknwfl · February 07, 2017, 07:45:22 AM

Well as a young whippersnapper. I think you all deserve respect, title or not.

Thanks

Buck

Magicman · February 07, 2017, 08:19:04 AM

And then there was the kid in school that thought that "Ray" was his middle name. His Dad had always called him "DanGit Ray".

Jeff · February 07, 2017, 08:51:51 AM

My very good friend Joe Wade, who past away this last year, was the custodian at the elementary school for 35 years. He was known for finding out what a person's father's first name was, or mother's if you were a girl, aND then call you that. He always greeted me with "Hey Ray'. It was his simple way of showing he had taken the time to get to know something about each kid, or anyone he knew for that matter. I sure miss that guy.

Remle · February 08, 2017, 11:06:03 AM

Titles are an attempt to politically cover up what you really do. As the political correctness crept in to the company which I worked for my boss, tasked me to come up with a new title for my job. My title was simply "Supervisor" after much thought I came up with "ABS" for short. Of course he insisted that I explain the meaning. So I said "Adult Baby Sitter" while he agreed with me, he thought the term would not fly with his boss and we agreed to just leave it at "Supervisor".

pineywoods · February 08, 2017, 06:39:47 PM

My first boss was a retired "tool pusher" aka rig boss. I learned a lot from him. I've known a few others with the same title, and I have a healthy respect for that hard earned title. My official title for 40 something years was Field service Engineer. Not much engineering involved, mostly problem resolution and customer support. We tried hiring a few graduate engineers (mostly EE) but they usually didn't work out too well.