Make Me Obsolete

Make Me Obsolete

John Paul Derryberry

I love being a social worker, but not for the reasons most people choose this career. I'm not here to save anyone; I think the enormous problem in social work is the savior complex that permeates the field. What do I love about social work? It's the notion that the playing field is unfair, and it's our job to level the playing field for everyone. It's a noble pursuit to go to bat for people who typically do not have representatIon of their life experiences at the table and assist them in finding their spot in the community.

Childhood trauma, abuse, disabilities, or struggles with mental health -- none of us would choose that path for ourselves. It is thrust upon us in often violent ways, and we are left to pick up the pieces. To make sense of the world's cruelty, not just of our attacker but the way the cold-hearted nature of society responds to these injustices, I will spend a significant portion of my life attempting to inch us forward into an equal future.

But suppose by happenstance, someone finds a solution to trauma, abuse, and equal representation overnight. In that case, I will happily step aside and welcome myself to a world where my expertise is no longer needed. What will I do for work? No clue, but I'll think of something with peace of mind that the world is in a better place. I pondered that thought a lot this week after I heard the response when the new administration stopped the Keystone Pipeline. aNumerous people talked about the jobs lost, which is awful. However, it is not as horrible as stopping progress toward moving away from fossil fuels that warm our planet and put numerous animals, habitats, weather patterns, and coastal ways of life in danger.

And yes, let's get some self admittance out of the way. I'm still a consumer of fossil fuels, just not as much as I used to be. I did purchase a house that lowered my drive time to work from 35 minutes to less than two. My wife and I reduced our reliance on gas by 75% last year. Humans for generations have evolved, and specific careers have been eliminated or significantly reduced. We will need to continually do this to create a better world, a lasting world.  It seems coal mining and oil rigging are soon to be a thing of the past, and that fact seems to demonstrate that we are moving in a better direction.

So what do we, as a society, owe people who powered us for years but now find themselves needing a new line of work? We owe them a lot, especially our gratitude for doing a job most of us wouldn't think of doing. The government owes them a pathway towards a new career, at least partially funded, if not wholly funded. They have skills, expertise, and an undeniable work ethic. Technology, research, and methods just caught up to them; that is not their fault, nor should they be punished because of it.

I tell myself all the time, our job as social workers is to become obsolete, to no longer be needed. When I worked with clients full-time, it was always the best day when I realized I'm just mucking up their life by being here; they don't need me anymore.  I would love for my field to become obsolete, to be put out to pasture.  It would mean the world is a better place. The world is a better place with fewer fossil fuels in use. The question is how do we keep those in the field working; how do we transition them to the next place that needs them? I'm not smart enough for that answer, but somewhere someone is. As for me, I welcome the day I become obsolete. I welcome it with a smile on my face.