My parents instilled in me a belief that hard work is a good thing. A strong work ethic was something to be proud of, something that other people would notice and respect. They believed that through hard work you can control your future, control how your life turns out. I remember as a kid working with my parents in the yard on the weekends cutting grass, raking leaves, trimming trees, painting the picket fence.
I would have friends stop by to see if I could go “play” or ride bikes. I would sheepishly have to tell them that I couldn’t, I was expected to help my parents. My parents believed there was a time to work and a time to play…..and work came before play.
Most of my friends seemed perplexed by this. I could only guess that they were not expected to help their parents as much as we were, and to be honest there were a lot of times I was angry with my parents for requiring me to help so much. There were times I felt I was missing out on whatever fun my friends were having and I think some of the time my parents did it so I wouldn’t be spending so much time just hanging out and getting into trouble with my friends. They figured if I was home working then they knew where I was and I wouldn’t be causing trouble in the neighborhood.
Of course now I appreciate the hard work they put into their lives and careers and the work ethic they instilled into me. I found a career I enjoy, I work hard and I’m compensated for my time which allows me to provide for my family and enjoy life as much as I can.
I read somewhere that men get more fulfillment out of completing tasks. They enjoy seeing the fruits of their labor, the end product. I must admit I enjoy a day of yard-work, seeing the grass freshly mowed, the hedges trimmed. I feel a sense of accomplishment after an afternoon of raking leaves. I often wonder if it’s the male DNA of me or the days spent helping my parents as a child.
Work fulfills me……do I day-dream of retirement and having more time for my hobbies and time to travel….of course I do. But that is still a ways away and even in retirement I’ll find something that seems like work but still gets me out of bed and gives me that sense of accomplishment and that exhausted feeling of knowing that I put in a day of work.
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Peace and Love
John
John's Blog 