Vocation

How does one end up with a particular job; does a job choose us, or we choose the job? The newspapers recently featured grave diggers who do what most people would avoid. The journalist wrote about one of them, an experienced man in his 50s who has become respected for his meticulosity in finding all the bone fragments.

Looking at the tattoos on their bodies, society's first reaction would likely be to label them as "failures". Failure in life is often linked to low education, low pay, and labour intensive work.

When I read the article, what came forth was the sense of dignity that the man has. He spoke about the importance of retrieving all bones and the skill of locating the depth and orientation of the remains. Is this a mere job for failures or has his Dedication made it a vocation?