I stopped by the cobbler the other day to have a pair of my shoes resoled. He is getting on in age and we were discussing his retirement so I asked what he was going to do with the shop, he honestly did not know. No one wants to be a cobbler. He makes good money, buys a new car every three years whether he needs it or not and he is looking forward to a comfortable retirement.

There is another gentlemen for whom I used to weld, sand and polish boat props who is in the same situation. He offered to sell me the business and let me rent his shop. He makes a comfortable living and is looking forward to retirement as well. They have a lake cabin as large as my home and a hunting stand larger than many hunting clubs. But nobody wants to buy his business either.

In the land of high tech bits and bytes the blue collar skill sets that earn a comfortable living are slowly dying. Fixing a boat prop is back breaking work, I’ve done it, I know. But what’s wrong with an honest days work? There are much dirtier jobs than being a cobbler or welding props, just ask Mike Rowe. In my mind the problem is that they are not glamorous enough for the younger generations. Everyone wants to be a video game designer.