The Benefits of Any Job

Regarding the editorial "Generation X and Jobs," July 2, 1993: I'd like to emphasize the values that can be gained by doing any job well, even if it is not your chosen field or income level. I graduated from college in 1978 with a degree in criminal justice and no job prospects.

Out of desperation, I took a minimum-wage job as a nursing assistant in a nursing home. It was hard work, terrible pay, and a relief when I got a position in my chosen field a year later.

However, the benefits of my nursing assistant job stayed with me, so much that I started taking night classes to pursue a nursing degree. In 1987 I graduated with my bachelor's degree in nursing and today I am a registered nurse with certification in rehabilitation.

Every day I practice is a testament to that humble, minimum-wage job I took after college that taught me so much. To the Generation Xers, I'd say that there is no job out there which will not yield benefits, perhaps for the rest of your life. Jennifer Enright-Ford, Oconomowoc, Wis. The value of a friend and neighbor

Regarding the Opinion article "Canada: More Than Mounties," July 7: As a frequent visitor to Canada and a follower of Canadian affairs, I too am disheartened by Americans' lack of interest in Canada.

Canada is America's largest trading partner - a relationship worth nearly $200 billion annually - and is this country's premier political ally. Ultimately, America and Canada are linked like no other two countries. Americans should be emphatically concerned with events in Canada. Michael L. Lyster, Fullerton, Calif.