Some Lessons From The Assembly Line Summary

"Some Lessons from the Assembly Line" is a personal narrative written by Andrew Braaksma. The author speaks about the risks and struggles individuals face when choosing a blue-collar career. The author vaguely speaks about taking his education for granted before he realized how lucky he had been to receive one, to begin with, and what his life would be like without higher education. Being a single mother, and a young woman, who lives in a small town made up of mostly blue-collar careers I can relate to the importance of the author's purpose. The author's purpose for writing this piece of work is to inform his audience about the value of higher education; since without education beyond high school, an individual must depend on careers that require an

individual to work long hours away from their family, low pay rates, and the risk of being laid off due to the career having no stability.
Blue collar careers require individuals to work long shifts. In paragraph four, "After a particularly exhausting string of 12-hour days at a plastics factory, I remember being shocked at how small my check seemed" (Braaksma 2005). The author should have told his audience how many 12-hour shifts he had to work before receiving his paycheck. In 2015, CSX in Erwin, TN laid off over 250 employees (Lusanne).
“I worked there for thirty-three years. The day my employer told me I had been laid off was disappointing, but also a blessing in disguise. I say blessing because I spent more time at work than I did with my family. My biggest hardship was realizing how little I knew about my family. Most of my life was spent on that railroad. The layoff gave me my family back. My wife and I saved all our lives, so we were financially stable. We did; however, have to change our spending habits for a while. My wife and I have been getting to know one another again. When she isn’t at the hair salon fixing someone’s hair, we have a nice dinner at home and I listen to her stories about life when I wasn’t home” (Tipton).

Although Mr. Tipton did not further his education, he did realize how much he missed out on due to the long hours he worked.
Blue-collar careers do not offer high pay rates.

In paragraph four, “I couldn’t believe how little I was taking home after all the hours I spent on the sweltering production floor” (Braaksma 2005). The author could have been more specific about what his hourly pay was. For instance, in 2014 I was employed at Burger King in Johnson City, TN minimum wage was $7.25 at the time; for a full-time employee (forty hours a week) that adds up to $1,160 each month or $15,080 each year; this is before taxes are taken out. With that said, the cost of living is expensive and a single person working at a fast food restaurant will struggle greatly. A college education can be expensive; however, the benefits that follow will outweigh the expense.

Blue-collar careers do not provide stability. In paragraph five, “As frustrating as the work can be, the most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job could disappear overnight” (Braaksma 2005). The author done a great job with describing this key point. With higher education, an individual can open career opportunities that provide job stability. In 2016, Morrill Motors in Erwin, TN laid off over 100 employees (Durham). Mr. Allen Shelton was one of those

individuals.
“After working with the company for five years, I never expected to be laid off. My wife was four months pregnant at the time and working as a waitress. Our rent was $475 each month not including utilities. When it came time for our car and insurance payments we had to turn to our families for support. I’ve worked for everything I have, so when I had to ask my family for help I felt small. Aside from family assistance, I applied at temp agencies for the lowest amount of pay. This was better than drawing unemployment benefits, which is a maximum of $200 a week. I am a full-time employee with an employer that offers benefits. Therefore, we have insurance for the three of us. Six months ago, my wife decided to go back to school for a nursing degree. We are just taking it day by day (Shelton).
With each statement Mr. Shelton made, I felt the hardships he and his family faced. His wife chose to further her education so their family wouldn’t have to struggle again.
The truth is; when we are young, we do not expect life to be as hard as it really is. We do not understand the importance of education until we enter the real world and individual’s education level; essentially, determines where their future will lead them. The day I found out I was pregnant was the day I became an adult, and had to learn to provide for myself. My family no longer handed me anything. That was when I finally realized how scary the real world is. I want my daughter to have the life I did not. Therefore, I decided, furthering my education is the best decision I could make. Realizing this after witnessing families struggle due to the issues that come with blue-collar careers and the months I have gone without because my daughter needed something.
In conclusion, higher education can change the lives of those who are willing to work hard. In paragraph six, “Factory life has shown me what my future might have been like had I never gone to college in the first place” (Braaksma 2005). No one should go through life worrying about not being financially secure, losing their jobs due to layoffs, or not seeing their families because of long hours or a collision in schedules. Higher education can open a variety of careers that offer a greater income, stability, realistic schedules and many more benefits. I see this article in this context, because of my personal experiences with blue-collar careers. Some may have a difficult time understanding the author’s work if they do not connect with the meaning behind it. The author was not specific with the number of 12-hour shifts he had to work before receiving his paycheck or how much his hourly pay was. At the age of twenty, I can say I am proud to be furthering my education. I am creating a better future for my daughter and myself. One day we will not struggle for anything.