the fine lines

Heave to, good fellows, and spend a moment with me in solemn thought.  Or happy thought!  Let's just think together, for once, for all.

I've been thinking about work lately.  Ideally, what function should it take in my life?  Some people place work in the forefront of their lives; all else is subservient to the Almighty Job.  For these people, taking a day off may be considered a personal failure.  Anything less than slavish devotion is unthinkable.  It really doesn't matter what kind of job these people find; they will sacrifice themselves at the altar of its success.  These people work because all they know is to work.  This is a very admirable ethic, from an employer's perspective.

For others, work is a nuisance, anything from a minor inconvenience to a hateful disruption of "real life."  These people work because they believe they must, usually for the money, and are eager to finish the work day having done the bare minimum necessary to stay in good standing.  Everyone has a different definition of "in good standing," of course; I place myself in this group, although I work very hard at my job.  I believe that, in the long run, it is easier to work lightly when all around can see you working hard.  These people can be found in every non-creative job; their willingness to trade their lives for money is what allows our society, as presently structured, to exist.  Ultimately, they affect nothing.  Employers are broadly very accepting of this attitude, because most of them share it.

Then there are those who have found their vocations.  These people derive such satisfaction from their work that they'd make it a hobby if they couldn't get paid for it.  They sometimes feel guilty that that they do get paid, just for following their passions.  You find these in the most demanding professions -- teachers, doctors, lawyers -- but generally you will find them only at the bottom and the top of their professional hierarchies.  The politics, gladhanding, and little distractions of life tend to weed out or alter the believers early on, and only the greatest adherents to the principles of these professions survive with the desire to reach the heights (instead of just retiring "happily").

I can recall, though I cannot find a reference to it, the great film critic Roger Ebert once saying something along these lines:  "The secret to happiness is to find what you love doing and make it your job."  Most of us will never achieve that ideal, but it's essential to bear it in mind.  If you were to inherit a billion dollars next week, would you keep working at your job?  If your answer is no, then why is that your job?  And when are you going to switch to one that actually matters to you?

I don't have any passion for my current job, but I see it as a stepping stone to something that's important to me.  Keep your path in mind.  Chart your course.  And move towards it with all the speed you can muster.