A friend sent me this link:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87777150
-- which is a segment from NPR called "This I Belive" -- I took a stab at my own version:
this i believe
Work is not your identity. When I got my first job out of graduate school, I remember being introduced as Lisa the librarian. I always thought, wouldn’t it be fun to be introduced in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with my vocation? For example – this is Lisa – who’s trying to perfect her alfredo sauce or -- this is Lisa who is reading all the Jane Austen novels. In the U.S., work equals human value. Giving more than 40 hours shows devotion to your employer. On the home front, weekend activities should be a list of labors, not navel-gazing sloth. When I'm not at work, I foster relationships, entertain myself, and maintain my home to be a place that restores me. I am always surprised by people who say they’ll never retire. I know work is an important part of life and I am grateful for the job that I’ve been given. Still, when the time comes to no longer be a slave to my alarm clock, I have a pretty good idea that I’ll be able to set a worthy agenda for those 40 hours. I’m not ashamed to say I’m looking forward to that.
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1 comment:
Lisa, The thing I learned about living for your job is that, when you suddenly don't have a job, you may discover you've forgotten how to enjoy life. It happened to me after leaving a job I'd had for over 30 years. I simply didn't know what to do. I had hobbies, I had friends, I had time to pursue my interests, but I just couldn't allow myself to have fun. It's wonderful to have a job you enjoy and at which you want to succeed, but you're right - it doesn't have to define who you are.
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