When I'm Old Enough...Goodbye!

Can't be late anymore. He just checked out. his work permit, man. Yeah, but he's sorry. He's got a vacation for life. Man, I wish I could work out with you right now. Ah, you'll make it. It's just a matter of time. Doug, when will I see you? He's not going base. He's just blasting OUT OF SCHOOL. BOOM! COME ON, SLAVE. SEE you tonight, Doug. [Music] Really great, man. I'll call you. [Music] Jennifer, stop resting all over the bed. Right now. I do more. It was pretty good, though. Sure. It's my first steady job, Pop. Remember how it was? Yeah. Mr. Willard from the school. He called me. Yeah? He's got some idea. Maybe it's not the right thing. Ah, Mr. Willard, what does he know about me? What does he know about work? Look at you. Gee, you didn't even get past the sixth grade. You're doing great. Good job. Same place all your life. That's important, Pop. You told me that. Think we should talk some more? Later, when the kids are in bed? Ah, I don't know. Pop, uh, Bonnie said I could stop by a while after homework's finished. Oh, well. Man, that kid stuff's all behind me now. To tell you the truth, Doug, I don't mind homework. I even like school. Bonnie, it is different with a girl. I don't see the difference. You don't? [Music] No, I think lots of boys like school. [Music] [Laughter] You still think it's the right thing? Yeah. [Music] Like that part-time job I had last summer. Look what it got me. Think what a full-time job's going to mean. No more part-time life for me, Bonnie. I hope so, Doug. I'm going to move out, too. Give my two brothers more room. Soon as I can. My family can have back the living room. Bonnie. [Music] Yeah! But look how many men in charge of big companies started this way. Can't wait forever, can you? I guess your mom and me, we just hate to see you grow up so fast. That's all. The job's right for me. Okay, Doug. We trust you. Just hope it's the right thing. Pop, it's like I'm alive. Like I'm finally waking up. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Your home away from home. Really on your own now, Doug. Thanks. I think you guys helped. Just call on us when you want to know where something is. Thanks, see you. I'm going to buy you guys a sandwich for homework, huh? Brain check. I got to get home and hit the books. English test tomorrow. Yeah, me too. We got the Oh, what's that? We got this new math teacher, you know? You mean Albert, the young guy? He's really pushing us. It's like learning a story. They finally invented a way to inject math into your bloodstream. The square of THE IPOD. OH, COME ON, DOUG. Sounds crazy. We'll see you, man, right? Thanks a lot, you guys, huh? That's okay. Looks good on you. See you. How is it down there, Doug? Where? The job. Where you work. Oh. Great. Nice guys, huh? Yeah. Nice place to work. Clean and nice. Yeah, I guess. Sure got it made. Well, just a job. And this room, you're meant to have a room all of your own. Yeah. I got to talk to my father and mother about quitting. He works nights and she works days, busy with all the kids. I can never get the two of them together at the same time. You will. It'll happen. Ah, I don't know. Got an uncle keeps talking about college for me, but he doesn't understand. No. You know, when we first came to the city, I was maybe 4 years old. This uncle, he gave to me a radio tube. Burnt out one. But I never had such a thing before. I I carried it in my pocket. Slept with it at night under my pillow. And it glowed. No kidding, it was alive. I still got it. But you got a lot of other ones, too. Got a lot of equipment. Man, if I could get a job in electronics. That's not for me. Crummy leftover jobs, that's what I'll get. Something I have to live with. Oh, come on. I think it's better if I take what I can get. It's up to you. Just thinking about it makes me light up like that old radio tube. You need a soul or something. You sound a little empty in the head. So, just for that, I take a rain check, too. Anyway, I have to go home and See you, man. Yeah, see you. [Music] The job's going fine. Oh, it's a little monotonous, that's all. But I'm looking around in my lunch hour for something better. He used to talk this way about school, too. Maybe. But now I can choose. [Music] Hi, Tony. Fine. Is he working? Oh, off and on. Still got to get married? I think so, yeah. So, what are you doing around here, anyway? When you quit school last year, didn't you get a job in an office? For a while, but well, you know me and English class. Well, those guys in the offices, they can't spell, either. So, they expect me to do all the spelling for them. It's a real kooky world, you know? [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] All right, HOT BOY, LET'S GO. HEY, what are you doing? [Music] So, we'll be again retraining our older men in the operating procedures of the new Milo automatic sorting and filing machine. As a result, we'll be forced immediately to let men go in order of seniority. [Music] [Music] Come on, boys. Recess over. [Music] All right, next. [Music] Hi, Bonnie. Oh, hello, Mr. Willard. Hear from Doug? Not much. He's called a couple of times, but always when I have homework. Uh you know, Bonnie, I wish Doug hadn't just dived out of here. I think we could have worked out different courses. Well, Carlos says Doug's doing great. Keeps changing from one job to another. Yes, I know. He's been in here for work permits. According to Carlos, Doug's really getting someplace. Well, who knows? Could be. Excuse me, Mr. Sure, Bonnie. [Music] Fellas, you have 2 minutes to finish those applications. What would you say if you got a teacher who instead said, "I don't care how you write, but be proud of what you write." [Music] [Music] Yeah, we may have something. You out of high school? Yes, sir. Graduate? Well, no, uh not not exactly. Oh. No point filling this out. Come back in about 3 weeks. Mr. Norman? We may be busy. Next to the wrappers on then. And for Ray and Mary Ann, here's a disc to set your feet a tapping. [Music] I went to look for you today. I was over at my folks' place. busy character, huh? What are you going to do with all that bread you're making? Going to get a new car? I don't know. What a life, huh? Come and go when you want to. Hey, man, we better get back to the floor before these bunnies hop away from us. Oh, come on. Hey, Doug, it's great to see you. I'll see you, man. [Music] I got to get going, Carlos. I finally got my father and mother together. It's great. Let's talk about it tomorrow, huh? Goodbye, Linda. Mom, there isn't this a dance? [Music] Doug Miller. How are you? Hi, Mr. Willard. Oh, uh this is Mrs. Willard. Good evening, Doug. Just uh looking in at the dance. How's your family? Your father? Real fine, thanks. Still working at the um Sheldon plant, like always. Are you still at Bolton's? No. I got something better coming up. That's great. I've been having some talks with Carlos. He wants to pull out, start working, too. Yeah, I know. Doug. If that new job doesn't work out, why don't you drop by the State Employment Service. Ask for Ralph Norman. Yeah, sure. You'll like him. He's been out here working with our guidance program. Yeah? Talk with him. Tell him I sent you. He'll have some ideas. Okay, thanks. Doug. Now, tell him you'll drop around. Good night, Doug. Nice meeting you. I see you worked at the filling station last summer. How'd you like it? I uh liked the times I had a uh chance to help out with the motor. I like cars. Always have, Mr. Norman. Like to fix things, huh? Sure. Try to get a job in a garage? Sometimes one thing. Now even those guys don't want to, you know. Doug. If you had a completely free choice, what would you really like to do in life? Get a job like my father. He's quite a guy, huh? 20 years in the same job. How often have you talked to Mr. Willard? Couple of times, maybe. When he called me in. Why should I talk to him? I wasn't in it for college. Ah, come on, Doug. You got the wrong idea. Mr. Willard is there for everybody. Yeah? We've been working with him to try to help you kids find the area in which you have talent. Things you can do that maybe you never even thought about, don't even know about. We know jobs. We know what the employer says he needs. Our job is to help you see where you fit. The things that you have to do nowadays to make yourself fit. I know where I fit, Mr. Norman. I know what I want. All my life I've only wanted to get out of school and work like my father and his father. What's so wrong about that? Times are changing, Doug. It's different now. All right. I know you need a job. Here's a life insurance company. They need men. Now, the work's not going to be any better than your other jobs, but they'll give you some money. It'll fill in. Thanks. Think about what I said. Want to see you again. Thanks a lot. [Music] Just temporary, Doug. Had some big layoffs at the plant. Just doing this to fill in. Keep some money coming. Just temporary. [Music] Doug, it wasn't just your father they let go. About a quarter of their workforce. It was a tough decision. But to stay competitive, they had to modernize. Well, what's going to happen? How can they all live on messenger's pay? Well, we're working with Sheldon's personnel department. We're trying to see which people can be moved up to new jobs. What new training might help. Yeah, I suppose you want my dad to go back to school, too. You never stop going to school. You always go on learning. Especially now. Today, education is the key if you want any doors to open tomorrow. That's why we worry about you dropouts. I'm not a dropout. I just left school. Doug, we try to line up places to send you for work. We do. We used to find jobs for kids as elevator operators. But look at your new buildings today. Automatic elevators. Even the old buildings. Sure, there are new jobs. Interesting jobs. Here, look. 60 different jobs. All wide open and waiting. But They all want a high school education. They all want to see that lousy piece of paper. You're darn right. But there's more to it than just that. I mean, you can't just walk around dressed in a high school diploma and expect a big glad hand to reach out for you. The men who do the hiring today look behind the diploma. At you. Now, you gain an awful lot in those extra couple of years it takes to earn that piece of paper. Just a waste of time. No, no. In the shop, you work with your hands. In math, you work with your head. In English or whatever. Just being there for 2 more years learning to concentrate, to work on details, to finish a job. Why should employers take on kids who can't even finish one job? One thing you can do in this changing labor market and that is to prepare yourself. Figure out where you want to go, what exists for you. What you want. I want a job. We can aim you at something specific, Doug. Along with part-time schooling. Take this booklet home. Take your time, study it, think about it. I have no time, Mr. Norman. I need a job. You want to spend the rest of your life in some kind of a job that All right. All right. I have nothing today. Come back tomorrow morning at 10:00. I may have something. [Music] Hey, kid. Got a cigarette for me? Yeah. [Music] [Applause] [Music] But it just doesn't pay off anymore, Carlos, to leave school like this. I have my parents' permission. At least let me arrange a part-time job along with some classes. You've got a great potential, but not this way. Please, Mr. Willard, I have to go all the way now. Look at Doug. He said at the Harmon plant. Carlos, this is the time not to play follow the leader. Hey. What did he say about a job? Anybody interested? Where? Harmon plant. I hear they're hiring. No, man. I got a back session. Maybe we'll run into Doug. Come on. If you do, say hello to him, huh? [Music] [Applause] Don't bother, kid. We're not hiring anymore. [Music] Hey, Doug. Hey, Doug. [Music] A job isn't just a job anymore. The whole crazy thing is more complicated. It seems so simple. No, you just run around back and forth like one of those rats in one of those things at the lab at school. You don't know, Carlos. Nobody knows until you're on the outside. Doug. I just have to look at my father and his job and I just have to look in the mirror every day and I know. So don't you have to be even better prepared? To run into walls? Ah, you're an idiot, Carlos. You like school. See? See, you're an idiot. See? Now, look. You have to become what you want to become. Why have to become like your father? Ah. Look at me. I'm what my father is. Both of us. It's really crazy. Sometimes you have no choice. You always have a choice. Maybe the choice is a lousy, but there's always something to choose. I had an offer, man. Didn't need a high school education. Real big offer. Work for a mob. Rob. Steal. that? No. No, but I had the choice. And it's a pretty lousy choice between doing that and moving garbage in a plant. And that's what it adds up to for me and my father. So if you quit, why should be any different for you? be. How do you know? How do you know? Go ask Mr. Willard. Go down to the employment service and ask Mr. Norman. They know. Unskilled jobs are drying up and getting duller. You don't have a high school education, you dry up with them and you get duller and duller. I was wrong, Carlos. You don't have to be a jerk, too. Do better than your father. You're a guy who can. It's you, man. What's inside you. What do you want to do? Play with burnt-out radio tubes all your life? Then you come back with me. Why not? You are not. You're not such an old man. Come back with me. That's a simple choice. Not anymore, Carlos. Not for me. Not sure I have the guts. [Music] [Music] [Music]