As a new graduate, doing unpaid work, I built
footpaths; gave advice to people in debt;
made art with disabled children.
One day I overheard my father say
how disappointed he was I was
wasting my time this way.
Years later, I sit in an office, shuffling
papers for an organisation that's lost
its way. One day I'll escape but for now
I'm stuck; work my biggest
disappointment; my only
waste of time.
Last week I posted Workplace Blues 1
Work for Totally Optional Prompts
18 comments:
Oh I know that seat only too well. Well put.
what funny ideas we have about work - you describe two of them so well
i love your reasoning... i work to live,, not live to work,, and these are the best days of my life.... i define who i am and will become,, and i rely on no source of bread to do that for me... i really liked this
I do understand the feeling of this poem. I have had jobs where I wanted to come to work, was passionate about what I was doing but the pay was not enough for all the bills, and I've had jobs where the only good thing was the paycheque at that end of the week.
Makes it's so hard to get up in the morning when you're stuck in one of those jobs.
Christy
Boy does this resonate! Ouch! One has to wonder what is the true measure of worthy work? By whose perception is it measured? Yours or the individuals who receive the benefit?
Guess I better get working on my resignation.
D
Gnnnrng. I have heard this about work from so many, but I do not know it. To put a twist on the quote of Honest Abe, My dad taught me how to find the joy in whatever the job, it was his gift that made me a minority. Thx for reminding me.
Alan - it is sometimes difficult to find the joy. Every job I've started I've tried to enjoy, its always faded. You're lucky.
Dennis - worthy work as far as I'm concerned would be work with a definite benefit to others but with also plenty of interesting things to keep me occupied and stimulated.
Christy - yes, its true! I waspassionate about this job when I started but am now totally disillusioned, that's really sad...
Paisley - thanks
Pauline - don't we just!
Jo - thanks!
Yes Juliet... the sad truth of the world. The "true work", the essential work, is often overlooked, even shunned.
I liked this a lot... ;) Sort of serendipitous to the piece I wrote for this prompt.
My parents always said that if what I wanted to do was be a ditch-digger, then they would support me, although they hoped I knew that digging ditches was hard labor.
I always doubted that they'd be happy if I chose ditch-digging as a career.
And I'm pretty sure they never understood what I did in my first couple of jobs, both computer-related and beyond their ken.
Your poem reminds me of how glad I am that I don't work at a corporate job any more.
I am glad I am into teaching and loving every bit of it...
Oh, so much truth. I always enjoyed, for the most part, my varied 'works' but each was only the means to an end. Well told!
Yay! The path must have a heart(to borrow a little from Castaneda's Don Juan).
Like many others, I can relate to this -- great contrast between true work and that other stuff we do.
Rob - yes you're right about essential work there.
Sister AE, my parents always wanted me to be a research scientist, but i suspected if that's what I had done they wouldn't have been happy!
My backyard - the saddest thing here is I don't work in a corporate job, this is the voluntary sector. Its not just big business that can be soul destroying.
Gautami - yes I loved teaching in Malawi, but it would be different here, too much discipline required, too much admin, not enough respect.
Tumblewords - yes I know what you mean!
A Decker - indeed!
Jessica - thanks!
Disillusion, disapointment, desperation - the diffferent values people place on this thing called WORK is enough to give anybody the blues!
I'm so grateful that I can do work I love. Surely the greatest luxury this life ever affords.
I want to hiss "get out! You're not really stuck!" but of course I don't know that, can't know that. Good luck!
Oh -- and -- good poem. Obviously.
Dale, no I'm not really stuck and i will get out - soon hopefully - but poetically 'stuck' works better than oh its bad but I'll be leaving soon.... Gladyou liked the poem.
Andy - you;re right there!
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