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A friend rethinks things
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<blockquote data-quote="herofan" data-source="post: 1495825" data-attributes="member: 17843"><p>I think if I ever went back to school, my next degree would be in psychology. Human behavior has always fascinated me. I like to know what makes people tick. I guess what fascinates me most about this "work all the time" topic is that it's a concept I wasn't aware of until I became older. I came from a blue-collar family where people worked because it was necessary to make a living. It was the right thing to do. You didn't complain about it, and you weren't lazy when there was work that needed to be done, and you didn't go around with your hand out. I don't, however, recall anyone announcing that they loved work, and even though work was more physical then, I don't remember things being as stressful and "on the go" like most people are today.</p><p></p><p>What also interests me is that it's not necessarily practiced world wide. I've read that in some European countries there is more of a distinction between work life and personal life. They tend to work during work hours, but not after. Some don't even check work-related e-mails after hours or weekends. </p><p></p><p>I suppose "success" to me was getting to a point where life wasn't as physically back-breaking, and I could make enough money that I wasn't having to work all the time; I have managed to do that. I guess my goals were tied to the results of work rather than the work itself. I never had a goal of, "I hope I can work 16 hours a day 7 days a week." </p><p></p><p>I suppose there are some time-slots where I could work more, but I have reached my goal, so why would I do that? When I say I could work more, I don't mean I'm slacking on my job, I mean that I could dream up some projects during my summers off, for example, but I don't want to. I feel successful in the fact that I don't have to. While everybody else is running around being busy all the time, I can just do whatever I want for three months. </p><p></p><p>Another thing that seems like a new concept to me is people having multiple jobs. When I was a kid, the adults I knew had one job. They might be a mechanic, work in a factory, raise cattle, drive a delivery truck, or whatever, and that was their work life. If someone had more than one job when I was growing up, it was because they were struggling to make ends meet and not because they were addicted to being busy. </p><p></p><p>My brother and I work currently together on the cattle. He had cattle several years ago when I wasn't involved, but he also had a really good public job, so he eventually sold the cattle. He said he didn't feel like he could have any quality of life working public and then having to mess around for hours on a farm. I understood perfectly. </p><p></p><p>If I ever seem defensive about it, I don't mean to be. I think it's only because there are those (not on this site) who like to act as though people who choose the more laid back lifestyle are somehow not "living the life" or somehow our life can't be as fulfilling as people who are busy all the time. I no longer worry about others views on that subject. I don't see any busy people whose lives I envy, and nobody can convince me that my life would somehow be better if I was busy all the time. I know who I am as a person and what I enjoy. I realize that the thing I enjoy most in life is family, peace, low stress, and low drama, and a hot cup of coffee by the fire on a snowy morning. </p><p></p><p>I realize there are movers and shakers in this world who will find cures for diseases, discover hidden wonders, and invent things to make our lives better, but I realize I'm not one of those people, and I'm perfectly fine and happy with that. I'm sure whether I choose to sit on the porch swing with some iced tea one day or work from sun up to sun down won't make much difference in the grand scheme of things, but it might affect my personal enjoyment for that period of time.</p><p></p><p>Some say you have to work hard to play hard. To be honest, I'm not sure what that even means. My grandparents had to work hard to eat and have clothes. If I had to guess, it probably means expensive play and the type of effort that makes playing seem like work too. </p><p></p><p>I remember a guy telling me a story once about his father being in the field on the tractor in the 1950s, and someone came by and told him that his close neighbor had been killed in an accident. He said that his father shut the tractor off, and it sat there and wasn't started again until the day after funeral was over. He was just giving an example of how people did things like that for respect back in those days, and apparently they didn't starve to death in doing so. </p><p></p><p>If it got to the point I couldn't go visit my friend who is laid up without being in a hurry, or go with my son to the latest Avengers movie without feeling like I'm wasting away, or have to know months in advance before I can confirm a singing gig, or have to eat and run on Thanksgiving day, it would be time for me to reevaluate my life, but that's just me.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="herofan, post: 1495825, member: 17843"] I think if I ever went back to school, my next degree would be in psychology. Human behavior has always fascinated me. I like to know what makes people tick. I guess what fascinates me most about this “work all the time” topic is that it’s a concept I wasn’t aware of until I became older. I came from a blue-collar family where people worked because it was necessary to make a living. It was the right thing to do. You didn’t complain about it, and you weren’t lazy when there was work that needed to be done, and you didn’t go around with your hand out. I don’t, however, recall anyone announcing that they loved work, and even though work was more physical then, I don’t remember things being as stressful and “on the go” like most people are today. What also interests me is that it’s not necessarily practiced world wide. I’ve read that in some European countries there is more of a distinction between work life and personal life. They tend to work during work hours, but not after. Some don’t even check work-related e-mails after hours or weekends. I suppose “success” to me was getting to a point where life wasn’t as physically back-breaking, and I could make enough money that I wasn’t having to work all the time; I have managed to do that. I guess my goals were tied to the results of work rather than the work itself. I never had a goal of, “I hope I can work 16 hours a day 7 days a week.” I suppose there are some time-slots where I could work more, but I have reached my goal, so why would I do that? When I say I could work more, I don’t mean I’m slacking on my job, I mean that I could dream up some projects during my summers off, for example, but I don’t want to. I feel successful in the fact that I don’t have to. While everybody else is running around being busy all the time, I can just do whatever I want for three months. Another thing that seems like a new concept to me is people having multiple jobs. When I was a kid, the adults I knew had one job. They might be a mechanic, work in a factory, raise cattle, drive a delivery truck, or whatever, and that was their work life. If someone had more than one job when I was growing up, it was because they were struggling to make ends meet and not because they were addicted to being busy. My brother and I work currently together on the cattle. He had cattle several years ago when I wasn’t involved, but he also had a really good public job, so he eventually sold the cattle. He said he didn’t feel like he could have any quality of life working public and then having to mess around for hours on a farm. I understood perfectly. If I ever seem defensive about it, I don’t mean to be. I think it’s only because there are those (not on this site) who like to act as though people who choose the more laid back lifestyle are somehow not “living the life” or somehow our life can’t be as fulfilling as people who are busy all the time. I no longer worry about others views on that subject. I don’t see any busy people whose lives I envy, and nobody can convince me that my life would somehow be better if I was busy all the time. I know who I am as a person and what I enjoy. I realize that the thing I enjoy most in life is family, peace, low stress, and low drama, and a hot cup of coffee by the fire on a snowy morning. I realize there are movers and shakers in this world who will find cures for diseases, discover hidden wonders, and invent things to make our lives better, but I realize I’m not one of those people, and I’m perfectly fine and happy with that. I’m sure whether I choose to sit on the porch swing with some iced tea one day or work from sun up to sun down won’t make much difference in the grand scheme of things, but it might affect my personal enjoyment for that period of time. Some say you have to work hard to play hard. To be honest, I’m not sure what that even means. My grandparents had to work hard to eat and have clothes. If I had to guess, it probably means expensive play and the type of effort that makes playing seem like work too. I remember a guy telling me a story once about his father being in the field on the tractor in the 1950s, and someone came by and told him that his close neighbor had been killed in an accident. He said that his father shut the tractor off, and it sat there and wasn’t started again until the day after funeral was over. He was just giving an example of how people did things like that for respect back in those days, and apparently they didn’t starve to death in doing so. If it got to the point I couldn’t go visit my friend who is laid up without being in a hurry, or go with my son to the latest Avengers movie without feeling like I’m wasting away, or have to know months in advance before I can confirm a singing gig, or have to eat and run on Thanksgiving day, it would be time for me to reevaluate my life, but that’s just me. [/QUOTE]
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