On this Labor Day in the United States, I celebrate work and express thanksgiving for the ability I have to do the work that I love.
Labor Day Essay: An Ode To Work
Labor Day as a nationwide celebration dates back to 1894; a day of recognition for workers and their contribution to society. A day off to celebrate and recognize hard work as a cornerstone of our nation is fitting and I am thankful today that the sacrifice and perseverance of those who have gone before me have helped to foster the frankly incredible opportunities so many of us enjoy today, especially when compared to the thousands of years and hundreds of generations that have preceded us.
When I hear people boast about their own hard work being the reason for their financial success, I laugh. Hard work does matter and matters greatly: the great inventions and ideas that have transformed our society do not spontaneously generate. Yet so much of our innovation is built upon the innovation of the past. The whole internet generation of work, including this blog, is made possible because of a world wide web that preceded it. Without the infrastructure of the past, we could not enjoy the innovation of the present and the promise of the future.
One of the greatest gifts of life is when you can live to work rather than work to live. This is much easier for some than others, but it is a state of consciousness, a resolution, that we can hold firm. I view work as a gift from God, not as a curse, and the value of hard work can be seen on a personal level and on an aggregate level through a flourishing society.
I am so grateful for the journey I have taken, even through the many dangers, toils, and snares I have hit over the years. Each day I hope to learn a little bit more; to be more kind, empathetic, and loving, but also to be more discerning, shrewd, and competent. The amazing thing about work is that we can grow to love it by becoming good at what we do. This is the testimony of so many; what seems a horrific burden can become a fulfilling joy as skill is developed over time.
CONCLUSION
I am thankful for work today. I am thankful that we can rest from our work, even though our work is never done. It is a great joy to spend a portion of each day writing this blog and I am deeply grateful for the interactions with you, dear readers, over the years, and look forward to many more years to come. Happy Labor Day.
top image: “Chicago: Epoch of a Great City” WPA mural by Harry Sternberg (1937)
bottom image: WPA mural by Winold Reiss found in Cincinnati Union Terminal
Maybe Labor Day will trigger lazy people to move their ass and get back to work again instead of sitting at home waiting for the Government to take care of them.
No way man. I got that $1200 2 years ago and I got me a house and a Lambo. I figure that $1200 will carry me 30 more years until I can collect social security. Thanks to that $1200 my grandkid’s grandkids will never have to work!
Gtfoh
And you didn’t have a student loan since you clearly never studied. Now you have one.
I should have been in congress so I could get a PPP loan for no reason then get it forgiven. Oh I forgot, those handout are OK because they are already rich
My mortgage self-identifies as a student loan.
Sigh. Sorry for the trolls, thanks for a heartfelt note, @Matthew.
For the millions of workers in the service/hospitality/labor sectors, Labor Day is meaningless. It’s a Monday just like any other Monday.
I have to get up early every day and start working at 8:00 AM. My bartender gets to sleep in late every day. That’s not fair. If I have to get up at 8:00, every single other member of society should have to as well.
Good message, Matthew. I constantly see these articles in my newsfeed about (usually younger people) “quiet quitting” and indignant over being expected to work one minute past when they’re supposed to, even when salaried. I have to shake my head and wonder whether they think the company works for them instead of the other way around, and whether they’ll figure out that success comes with effort. Honestly, I hope they do – not just for them, but for our future as a society.
Boy, do I feel like an old man….
It’s not about being indignant about being asked to work one extra minute, it’s about realizing that life outside of work is more important. I have worked with a bunch of old timers that have missed big milestones with their kids or have lost marriages because they spent too much time at work. F**k. That.
We all end up in the same place in the end, so why should I sacrifice priceless memories to give some guy an extra vacation home while hoping he gives me an extra few grand. You can’t get back your youth so I say work just hard enough to be comfortable, and enjoy the evening.
Billy Bob, I admit everyone’s got their own reasons and priorities, and you have to find balance (and where that balance is will be different for each individual). However, it seems like it’s increasingly the case among the younger generation that everything is about “I’m doing you a favor by working” and not willing to put in some extra effort.
Hey, maybe I’m just getting an inordinate number of these articles in my newsfeed, but I also see it in the office. I directly supervise a staff of 20, and am administratively responsible for a staff of 112. It’s no where near out of control, but I am seeing that attitude more and more, and at some point I can see it causing an issue with productivity or causing a rift between those employees and those who really try.
And I know you explained your personal reasoning, and that’s fine, I respect it, but there are indeed those who are indignant at being asked to help one extra minute. It’s all about how you handle yourself with others.
I don’t dream of labor.
The chance to be exploited in a long-term job is now experienced as a privilege. – Slavoj Žižek