It’s a fool’s errand to try to predict your kid’s future when he’s still in kindergarten, but that doesn’t stop parents from losing their minds over particular talents they spot in their children.
Detective Munch is not even six. Neither he nor I has any idea what he’s going to be into down the line, but so far his favorite subject at school seems to be science, and, besides being a pain in the ass, his greatest talent seems to be in getting dirty.
Luckily, I may have found a job for him that combines both of those things!
You may have read some of my posts in which I discuss the fun and educational 1 in 100 Million video series. The videos showcase “the personal stories of the people who do the many important and too-often unrecognized jobs we all rely on.”
Through the fun 1 in 100 Million videos I’ve occasionally showcased, I’ve been able to explore a variety of careers I hardly knew existed, let alone would have ever considered for my kids. Despite how interesting many of the featured jobs are, and their obvious value to the world, most don’t quite seem like perfect fits for my sons.
The Hammer is still a blank slate – if I had to guess right now, I’d say he’d work in sewage, or maybe death metal – but based on what Detective Munch’s first five years, the job featured in this month’s video might be perfect for him.
Dana Sue Kimbal is a Miner & Environmental Manager at Coeur Rochester Mine (Nevada Mining Association). Her site mines silver and gold, silver and gold, and now I have Christmas songs stuck in my head a good six months early. I imagine that is just one of the many hazards of working in mining! But Dana Sue doesn’t actually spend a lot of time in the mines, she’s focused on compliance, permitting and planning, and, when the job is done, getting the mine closed up and the area returned to pre-mining conditions, to protect the environment.
It seems old timey – all I’m picturing is Al Swearengen cursing up a storm in Deadwood – but mining is a big, modern, 24/7/365 operation. It would have to be, with the Coeur Rochester mine moving 70,000 tons of ore every day, with the bars going up for sale for coins, jewelry, the solar industry, and more. My kid isn’t too interested in any money that can’t be found in a treasure chest, but he does enjoy trucks, and getting dirty. Which miners certainly do.
This role is a little different, and requires a teaching component. Dana Sue loves talking to people and having them discover science and nature – she works with teachers, educating them on modern mining and technology, with hands on activities to bring to their students to get them interested in science as well. My five-year-old loves learning about that stuff, and doing hands-on science experiments.
According to Dana Sue, it’s a rural, outdoor life style – you have to want to work outside, wear jeans, wear boots all day, and enjoy seeing the fruit of your work each day. My son likes all of that stuff, but would probably prefer to replace “fruit” with “chocolate”. Badum-cha!
The major obstacle to my son’s exciting future in mining?
Dana Sue’s goal is to make sure when they are no longer at a site, that you wont be able to tell that they were ever there. Detective Munch has never cleaned up a “site” in his life. I am currently looking at several different piles of LEGO, a bowl of unfinished cereal, dirty pajamas strewn across the floor, and a half-empty juicebox.
Yeah, this might not be for him after all.
