What Would We Do Without Work?
As I have gotten older (ahem) my perspective on many things has changed, including work.
I used to really dislike working when I was a kid. My father used to tell me you need to learn to like to work. Of course as a teenager I thought he was crazy or demented in some way or he had been dropped on his head as a baby. Like to work? Are you kidding me? Of course now I see it a little different. Liking what you do for work sure makes life a lot more fun.
Work is still not my most favorite thing. But what would I do with myself without it? You can only read so many books, go walking so many times, work out so many hours a day, play guitar for just so long, etc, etc.
Work not only pays the bills but for many of us it gives us a identity, a sense of belonging, something to challenge and engage our minds, a feeling of productivity and satisfaction. Sometimes work even helps us forget life’s problems if we immerse ourselves in it deeply enough.
Sometimes I even look for things to work on after work. Yes, that is kind of pathetic. Writing makes me feel productive. Who knows, someday maybe I will write a book.
I used to hate picking berries and cherries and everything else that needed to be picked as a kid. Now I look forward to checking out the small patch of black caps in my front yard. Every day they need to be picked when they come into season.
I am not sure I ever want to retire per se. I would like to have a busy lifestyle as it seems I have more energy the more I do. I can see myself dancing and camping and spending time on the beach into the sunset. But I think I will always have something going on, a side hustle, or some kind of revenue stream to keep my mind active and engaged.
I have often thought that my dream job would be on a private island, wearing shorts and flip flops, riding around on a golf cart checking on houses for seasonal owners. I would spend about three hours every morning doing that followed by bike riding, walking the beach and hanging out in the pool. Sounds pretty good, right?
Anything we can imagine is possible. Sounds like a topic for another article….
