There was a saying as I was growing up... "Don't learn to milk the cow."
Implied here is that cow milking is a labour intensive process that requires early mornings and daily, persistent commitment. The metaphor behind this aphorism is that if one were to acquire an (unpleasant) skill, that the duty would fall exclusively to them.
It became a joke at home: my dad would often ask my mother to take on new skills around the house (and she was already working full time and educating my sister), and she would say things like "that sounds like a cow" or moo at him.
It has happened to me in many aspects of my work. I have taken on skills that have served an integral role in the work I do, and my supervisors have come to rely on me. Just the other day, I was called upon - at a time where my thesis work is growing in intensity - to perform some off-duty data collection. Unfortunately, there are only two people who are capable of using the software required, which requires my (or my colleague's) attendance in the lab during data collection.
It is frustrating, because my skills are often required in times where my my availability is split between priories. But I've been reflecting on my utility, and realized why I'm in this situation to begin with.
I'm a milker. Avoiding difficult jobs in synonymous with forgoing opportunities. Becoming an important part of my research environment has developed a trust-based relationship with my supervisor that has afforded me the opportunity to take on larger, program-guidance roles. These opportunities have sculpted a set of experiences that I believe are unique in graduate school.
So... based on my experiences, I'd like to revise the old saying with a new alternative:
"If you don't learn to milk the cow, you may never see the morning sunrise."
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