Personal Testaments on Education, Employment and Connections since Childhood

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Part One: Connections Over Time & Letting Go

It is truly amazing the connections that support us through our lives from childhood to adulthood.

New connections started forming when I was ten years old thanks to the culinary arts.

I’d often walk home to cook up some Kraft dinner during my elementary school years lunch hour, as it was fun and delicious.

One day my step brother added hot dogs to his Kraft dinner and it blew my mind, as I’d never thought about creative cooking.

It was just cheap wieners added to macaroni with artificial cheese sauce, but at that time it was so inspiring to me.

That caused a chain reaction for several years.

I learned the amazing art of cooking by watching my brother, father, mother and many others.

Naturally, my first job in high school brought me to work back of house in several restaurants, two of which my brother helped me attain.

Thank you everyone for being awesome.

(Ryan, left | Jesse, right)

Twenty years later, some jobs included delivering food and beverages for various companies, such as Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats.

My academic and professional experience could have led to higher status and income; however, I managed to create a long-term stable courier job, which is enjoyable, totally flexible and compensates fairly.

Courier (delivery) work does not offer bonuses or benefits like a large company.

It does not boost one’s reputation or status in society.

I’ve accepted that and am grateful for everything I have, especially my work-it’s reliable and rock solid.

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It’s been a long forty-year journey.

Many jobs and connections have been lost, but I persevered.

Perhaps they were not meant to be, however, being an independent courier was always a fit-bang on.

Having the freedom to choose one’s time, location and even compensation (to a certain degree) has been a heaven sent.

Other than running my own business, this has been the only job I’ve had where working for a company grants nearly total freedom.

That is priceless and worth trading one million fancy careers working for someone else. 

Part Two: Stable Jobs Require Stable Minds

Most young guys love their first car, making a job like Skip the Dishes most appealing, especially since you get to use your own vehicle and choose your own schedule.

You may even be able to choose what city to work in exclusively.

That is exactly what happened to me ten years ago and, oh my lord, was it fun!

The job included driving in the mountains, rivers and valleys, or you can delve deep into the city for some more advanced work.

Working in remote areas is quieter and fun, however, in the city there is more traffic and stress, which generally means better compensation.

What a fun and exciting journey-just my car and I.

It seemed perfect.

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Five years went by and the fun faded sometimes.

There were times when I lost my patience and got upset.

I was working many ten-hour shifts and became irritable or even sick by pushing beyond my limits.

Stubbornness or being unable to slow down the pace were major causes.

Strangely, there was no reason to push so hard as couriers pick their own hours.

If you need more work, simply sign out, get some rest and sign back in when you’re feeling better.

The issue turned out to be more than a financial need.

It was a deep-rooted need to prove my self-worth or success.

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Anyone in sales knows that there are ‘sweet times’ to sell and it’s hard to let go when there’s money to be made.

This type of scenario happened many times on weekends, major sporting events or holidays.

Orders were increasing, pay spikes and tips were booming, extra shifts were being offered, being nearly two to three times more than usual.

Key Point: spikes often happened near the end of my shift, even on the way home!

It was then time to decide: let go or hold on.

If I went home during those times, I could indeed rest and recover, but desire often got the best of me and I pushed myself hard.

The pay was certainly good, but the following days at work were rough.

I was often exhausted, sick or irritable.

There were many factors causing work quality and productivity to plummet.

Was it even worth it?

It was time to let go and surrender.

Life needed urgent rebalancing.

Thank you Gandhi for your encouragement and wisdom.

Change is indeed what I need.

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At one point during those years, I recalled some wisdom when I became a courier: the only person you need to prove anything to is yourself.

After eight years of go, go, go, I decided the new mantra would be: slow, slow, slow.

I had nothing to prove anymore, except to myself.

It wasn’t about accepting my meager job situation this time, but about being too attached to it.

There was little financial concern compared to my overall well-being, so I traded ten percent of my courier time for more important activities with family, friends, personal time for reflection, hiking and building my other businesses.

In many cases, these activities occurred before work and would set a positive tone for the day.

This realization to rebalance was life-changing and from the heart.

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Unfortunately, it was tough to hold fast to my self-induced promise during the long-term.

I would occasionally sink into old extreme ways due to exhaustion, loneliness or lust.

Things eventually became more stable, balanced and more mature after practicing the new lifestyle for a few years.

Part Three: Restaurants, Traffic and Customers

What is the perfect delivery for a courier?

This happens when restaurants, traffic and customers are all on time or don’t slow you down.

It is all about perfect timing so we can earn our commission quickly, then move on to the next order.

But how often do things work out perfectly in life?

Sometimes my wife tells me nothing is perfect, so this song (Neil Young) is for her.

In my forty-seven years of experience, I believe few things turn out perfectly, as desired.

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Look at what happens on a regular day doing courier work.

Restaurants may have long wait times, traffic is stuck or customers cancel their order after a long wait.

All this may happen while waiting to pick up a single order, where the commission is a meager five dollars.

It can be a brutal loss of time or income.

The courier’s mind races, while sitting in the busiest location possible, the best day and time, still not receiving a single order.

I think to myself, “This too shall pass”.

King Solomon’s symbolic words were similar as he wished to be true in good and bad times,

“This too will pass away.”

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Sometimes letting go can be rough.

We do everything the best we can but still a weight remains.

Perhaps a higher patience or forbearance is not focusing on the external things that ail us, but those which are inside us.

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One of the greatest things I’ve learned in my life is to accept the way things are.

Accepting a job with lower status and pay may be truly frustrating for some, but there are also virtues, such as finding courage in fearsome driving conditions, patiently connecting with restaurant staff who are struggling during intense dinner rushes or truly listening to customers and resolving their frustrations with lost, damaged or incorrect orders.

In rare cases, customers will engage in long sharings about their life’s joys or sorrows, just grateful someone is willing to listen, also enriching my life experience, more than words can describe.

I would like to thank my family and friends for teaching about arts, cuisine and general support in finding my path.

Thank you, Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats for your patience, support and ten years of freedom to choose my own destiny.

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Sources

• Neil Young – Nothing Is Perfect (In God’s Perfect Plan) (Live Aid 1985) (Oct 11 2018) YouTube [Online] Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdEBFs8WubQ&list=RDOdEBFs8WubQ&start_radio=1 [Accessed September 23 2026]
• Wikipedia, Solomon [Online] Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon [Accessed September 23 2026]
• Wikipedia, This Too Shall Pass [Online] Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_too_shall_pass [Accessed September 23 2026]