Workers of the world unite
I set out to write a book about love and loss, friendship and fragility, but in celebration of Labor Day, I just did a word search, and the word work appears at least 105 times (more including the ‘work of fiction’ disclaimer and my bio). That’s evidence that for me, work co-mingles with all the good stuff.
By work I don’t mean employment. Dogs never submitted a timesheet, but they still wants to scare off a deer, bring you a toy, or just chew. For them that’s both love and work.
Scout’s work included defending democracy
Big thoughts are hard
Mark Carpenter was a philosophizer, who describes own ideas about the nature of things, and riffs a bit on Spinoza. I had to include him because a favorite artist of mine was a fan of the Dutch lens-grinder-thought-leader, but also because against my advisor’s advice, I minored in philosophy. “Lucie, I’d prefer to see you round things out a bit,” said Gordon Stewart, UVa German professor and dean.
It’s true, I was not killing it. The people in upper-level courses were really, really intellectual, and I really, really had to work at it. “It’s not helping your GPA,” he countered. Also true; the marks were not good.
But by then I had dispensed with my Hill Street Blues dream of law school (wasn’t Veronica Hamel awesome, love anyone who turns down Charlie’s Angels and later becomes badass Hill Street Blues public defender), and with incredible shortsightedness had thrown GPA concerns out the window. Since I had stockpiled some AP credits, I plenty of time for classes like art history, mythology, architectural history (definitely helped my love life), and yes, Acting and Directing I (did I miss my calling?)
“I know, but I think I’m getting the hang of it,” I replied. “Well, you’ll have to press on then,” he said with resignation.
The long game
Just ask anyone who has delivered a baby: they don’t call it labor for nothing, and despite the magic of the slimy-baby-blotchy-mother photo, the work continues. The word labor comes from Latin related to hardship, pain and suffering, yet it’s rarely bad for you, and the payoff usually arrives, either with real results or the gift of a thickened skin or expanded toolbox.
My seminar on Wittgenstein, the one taught on the teacher’s farm, where I seemed to be the only one showering regularly, helped me talk about a print exhibition framed around principles found in Philosophical Investigations. I didn’t raise a lot of money, but I really felt at home.
Perhaps more importantly, wasn’t it fantastic that I was inclined toward mythology when taking in some modern dance and working in a museum? That I had a love of telling stories about great work and listening to donor’s stories? Sure it was.
In praise of labor
Enjoy Labor Day! As you celebrate the dignity of work and workers, reflect on what you’re doing and want to do next. Maybe it’s just keeping it real showing up for work, maybe reading or listening to good books on your commute. Maybe you do have one more big job in you, and you’ll at least work at a search. Maybe just some networking?
Maybe it’ll soon be cool enough to train for big race, real or metaphorical, or stay in and learn to watercolor or again, read a good book. Our attention spans may be shrinking, but you know that when if choose something you want to work on, whether it’s Wordle, or woodworking, or water aerobics, it means something to you.
Especially if no one is tracking your grades but you.
Happy Labor Day. Let me hear from you and get psyched for notes from my new freelance job next month.
