Rocket Boys and Work

This is from the The Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam Jr. Homer wanted to quit making rockets after an accident in the mine injured his father and killed a friend. He felt guilty because he got his friend in trouble and his father assigned Homer's friend, who was a machinist, to work the "face," the most dangerous part of the mine. Homer just told his chemistry teacher, Miss Riley, he wanted to quit making rockets.

"You've got to put all your hurt and anger aside so you can do your job," Miss Riley said.

There it was, the West Virginia thing--the almighty job I should have known that was coming. Oh, yes, we all had our job to do in this state, breaking our backs to ship our wealth out to the world so we could turn around the next day and do it all over again for next to nothing. "What's my job?" I demanded harshly.

She ignored my tone. "Your job, Sonny is to build your rockets."

"Why?"

"If for no other reason, because it honors you and this school."

I wanted to run from her, tear out of her classroom and keep going, and never look back. "What if I don't like doing my job?" I argued weakly.

She gave me a look that went down to my marrow. "Then and especially then," she said, "you give it everything you've got."

p. 254. Delacorte Press. copyright 1998.