The beginning of my summer has been marked, as I knew it would be, by a period of steady and dedicated labor. The majority of my time at home has been assigned to various tasks, whether it be actual tasks around the house in which I reside, of my own making, or at the factory where I have taken a side job for the time being.
The first of these objectives to be completed, actually upon the first days of my return, involved getting rid of most of my unneeded possessions. This was directed to both free up space and minimize the wasteful way in which I was living. It is a stupid notion to hold that the richness of our existence could in any way be dulled by the absence of unnecessary material items.
Following that relieving accomplishment, my time and efforts have been directed into more physically engaging pursuits. This has been great because of the lack of availability of such activities at a university. At school, there are no lawns that need mowing, no decks that need building, no gardens to tend, no fences to mend, and certainly no sheds that need a fresh coat of paint. Not for a student at least. I'm thankful that I am able to take some of these tasks off of the shoulders of my aging father. I am also thankful for the job that I have at the factory and the opportunities that it allows me. I had almost forgotten how much I value a hard days work.
I believe it is something that we as a society don't appreciate as we should: an honest days work for an honest days pay. It is a simple principle, but one that sets a massive foundational precedent not only in the workplace, but in many aspects of life. That stubborn ability to press on, to persevere until the task is completed is something that I hold highly, something that I often saw in my grandfather.
I am thankful that I can work.
The first of these objectives to be completed, actually upon the first days of my return, involved getting rid of most of my unneeded possessions. This was directed to both free up space and minimize the wasteful way in which I was living. It is a stupid notion to hold that the richness of our existence could in any way be dulled by the absence of unnecessary material items.
Following that relieving accomplishment, my time and efforts have been directed into more physically engaging pursuits. This has been great because of the lack of availability of such activities at a university. At school, there are no lawns that need mowing, no decks that need building, no gardens to tend, no fences to mend, and certainly no sheds that need a fresh coat of paint. Not for a student at least. I'm thankful that I am able to take some of these tasks off of the shoulders of my aging father. I am also thankful for the job that I have at the factory and the opportunities that it allows me. I had almost forgotten how much I value a hard days work.
I believe it is something that we as a society don't appreciate as we should: an honest days work for an honest days pay. It is a simple principle, but one that sets a massive foundational precedent not only in the workplace, but in many aspects of life. That stubborn ability to press on, to persevere until the task is completed is something that I hold highly, something that I often saw in my grandfather.
I am thankful that I can work.
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