Hi folks,
Hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing Labor Day. According to Google, the holiday is held in honor of working people. It is also the (unofficial) end of summer, book-ending the season that (unofficially) started on Memorial Day.
Of course, seasons don't really start or end. It is hard to tell sometimes when things start or end. It is symbolic more than anything to say that a particular season starts or ends. To label a portion of time 'summer' or 'winter' lends a semblance of meaning to a particular time of year.
Labor Day honoring 'working people' brings the meaning of 'working people' into question. I'm not working today. Probably not doing so tomorrow, either. I wonder if I should have taken yesterday off. Off from what, right?
The holiday was not always about working people or a final weekend tripto idle in line while waiting to get into a parking lot by an
overcrowded beach with your family or friends. It started as a way
to honor the American labor movement. The symbolic meaning of the day
has changed quite a bit over time.
Perhaps it would have been disrespectful to the memory of those in the labor movement to not take yesterday off. Symbolic gestures are hard to understand, occasionally.
I think a working person is someone whose thoughts and actions contribute to society. I suppose this celebrates almost everyone. I like that it includes groups often left out of the 'working people' category- full time caretakers, authors of pointless blogs, parents, so on.
Meanings change over time, I guess. I never knew that Labor Day started to honor the labor movement. I assumed it was for working people in the present day. I suppose taking the day off is one way to honor those who sacrificed in the process of contributing to the well-being of this country.
One way meanings change is because symbols change. Labor Day was a day off because one hundred years ago days off were much rarer than they are today. It was symbolic to have a day off to celebrate an achievement. It was symbolic to have a day off to honor the memory of those lost. Those things are not so symbolic today thanks to such innovations as paid time off and bereavement leave.
The achievements of trade unions at the time were significant. They were more than sufficient to merit a symbolic day of celebration. Maybe it was a symbolic day to honor those killed during the Pullman Strike or perhaps the many more who suffered as they contributed to our railroads. History is a little hazy on those details.
Another way meanings change is when someone points out something, particularly if it is true. Someone pointed out once that the cost of replacing all the work a full-time parent does through nannies, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs, laundry services, and so on, all summed up, would equal quite the annual salary. Nearly $120k, according to salary.com's 14th annual Mom Salary Survey. That is a lot of money.
Long ago, I'm sure full time parents much more readily accepted the notion that they were not 'working people'. That's how society was, I'm told. Things have changed over time. The meaning of work has changed over time.
Sometimes the job itself provides meaning. Other times, an industry or organization is obviously meaningful. In certain cases, the employees have to find meaning for themselves. But the meaning is rarely fixed. Whatever the meaning now, it is always subject to change later.
I wonder what meaning the railroad union workers took from work. Was it the opportunity to build something that stitched a diverse nation together, to contribute to a nationwide project that linked east and west, that brought the liberty of movement to each and all, one tie at a time? Perhaps they felt obliged to continue the work of those who came before them, to ensure the work and sacrifices and suffering of many did not happen in vain.
Even vain people seek meaning. That is not always true, of course, but it does seems to be one of the universal human truths- people ultimately seek meaning. What is the meaning of life, what is the meaning of this song, what is the meaning of baseball, what is the meaning of that thing you just said, and all that and so forth.
It's always been true for me. Sometimes, I seek meaning here.
I used to play sports all the time. Back then, it meant something. I was in a new country with a different flag. I could fit in if I knew where the foul line or third base or the fifty-yard line was. I bet a lot of athletes started with a similar experience- finding meaning in a game because it meant they belonged somewhere.
I remember very few things from that time. Sports, obviously. The flag, I suppose. We stood in front of it every day and pledged allegiance and sang songs about it in second-grade music class. You're a grand old flag and all that.
A flag is symbolic. I like our flag. It looks cool because it is so different from most other flags- stars and stripes.
When we add states, the stars are adjusted. To me, this represents the best part of America. It has a unique capacity to grow and to change and to accept new things and ideas and people.
I never learned in school that it was symbolic gesture to sit down in front of the flag while everyone else is standing up.
A flag is symbolic. I do not like our flag. It looks ridiculous because it is so different from most other flags- stars and stripes.
When we add states, the stripes remain fixed. To me, this represents the worst part of America- its capacity to cling to the past and to outdated ideas and to worry about exactly where certain colors are supposed to go.
A symbolic thing has meaning. But the same symbol can have different meanings to different people. I imagine there are plenty of people like me who are conflicted by the contradictions presented by the symbols in their life.
Back when I used to play sports all day, I used to watch sports all day. I watched football. It was just another way to fit in and because of that it held great meaning. I developed knowledge, a know-how, about games and teams and leagues superior to many of my peers.
Conflicted feelings are nothing new to a football fan. We often wonder aloud what will happen to the NFL when somebody dies during a game. The collisions on each play are significant and the lifelong damage to many former players is well documented. A nationally televised death seems inevitable. Until then, we continue watching.
My know-how about football used to mean a great deal to me. It took a long time to accumulate that know-how. It made me irreplaceable in a particular way because no one else could replicate my knowledge.
The search for meaning is nothing new to a football fan. We often wonder aloud what team names actually mean. Do the Washington Redskins honor Native Americans? Do the San Francisco 49ers honor the Chinese immigrants who were systematically discriminated against throughout the gold rush?
My know-how about football is less relevant now. It does not have the same meaning anymore. And smartphones make my recall of facts and figures nearly redundant.
One player whose career I've followed with great interest is Colin Kaepernick. When he joined the NFL, the most notable element of his play was his speed. He could run faster than anyone. I noticed right away how he ran with the near-perfect technique that I have come to admire in my post-college years.
I wonder what football meant to Kaepernick when he was a little kid. Did he want to fit in like me? I've heard that he wanted to play for the San Francisco 49ers, just like he does now.
In August, Kaepernick sat down during the national anthem prior to his team's preseason game. This is currently a big story among football fans. It has become a big story, period. Even Donald Trump is weighing in! And it is only preseason.
I wonder if Kaepernick grew up in a place where education meant accumulating know-how. From my experience, so much focus in childhood was put on developing know-how in math, in science, in history. Especially history, the subject of facts and figures.
Everyone studied the labor disputes. People were killed. We learned when and where. Sometimes we knew the names of the leadership. We knew how. The point was know-how. Rare was the discussion about how people on both sides of this dispute must have felt.
I wonder if Kaepernick learned in school that it is a symbolic gesture to sit down in front of the flag while everyone else is standing up.
There are discussions about this all over the country. People know when and where Kaepernick sat. People know how he sat. The point of the discussion is know-how; what is the appropriate way to protest? The reaction is to the method more so than the message. And rare is the conversation that aims to connect how both sides are feeling.
A symbolic thing has many different meanings to many different people. A flag is symbolic.
To many, the flag represents the best that their loved ones sacrificed for the well-being of the country. To reject the flag is to dismiss the suffering that comes with losing a loved one.
To many others, the flag represents the worst that has been done to their loved ones by the country. To accept the flag is to dismiss the suffering that comes with losing a loved one.
Understanding feelings is really no help at all in addressing know-how questions. You can't get an A on that assignment. It will not help on the SAT. Maybe that is why schools focus on other things.
The response to Kaepernick has focused primarily on what little know-how can be gleaned from the situation. How should one protest? What is the way to state a message? Who is offended by the method?
Even President Obama is weighing in: '(Kaepernick) cares about some very serious issues that need to be talked about.' The president is acknowledging a right to protest.
A Forbes magazine headline also acknowledges this right while summarizing the focus on the know-how: 'Kaepernick has a right to protest but his execution needs work.'
Kaepernick, after his initial act was noted by the media: 'I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.'
When people talk about 'what side of the fence' they are on in terms of Kaepernick's protest, they are talking about his know-how, his execution of a symbolic gesture. I can't find anyone saying he should stop what he is doing because his original intent is false.
The strongest thing you can say against any statement is that it is false. I can't find that statement anywhere from anyone. No one has said, 'This country does not oppress people of color.'
When the Pullman Strike happened, President Cleveland ordered in the Army. I don't have any direct quotes. But it does seem like the president did not bother to acknowledge a right to protest. I don't think Forbes magazine was in print.
No one has said, 'This country does not oppress people', for that matter. Oppression is not always active. I feel withholding any and all support needed by a combat veteran returning home is a form of oppression. Perhaps the public money is needed to fund football stadiums.
Comparing what happened in Pullman with Kaepernick's protest, even partially, is a bit of a stretch. I could see it being read as such. Many died at Pullman. Nobody dies in a football game (unless by unpreventable accident, of course). The danger in trying to create anything new is the near-guarantee that the creator has no control over how it is interpreted.
The stakes of the jobs are so different. If a quarterback fails, he is told to refine his delivery. I don't know what a railroad worker is told when he fails. A long time ago, most of them did not even speak English.
One way to ensure that your creation is not misread is to always refine your delivery, to always find ways to work on your craft, to always work on how you present your message. In this way, over time even the point of the most poorly delivered initial message might come through in the next iteration. But you always have to know the point you are trying to get across.
Kaepernick is used to being told to 'refine his delivery'. That is football scouting lingo for someone whose throwing mechanics need improvement. He never had the best mechanics. Like I said, I've followed his career closely.
Meaning changes over time. For many athletes, I imagine the meaning of playing a sport changes as they transition from wide-eyed kid to professional player.
Last week, Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem. Other athletes have since joined him, within and outside football.
I suppose it is possible that a professional athlete may find no meaning at all from the sport they play. It becomes a job. A lot of people take no meaning from their work. They look elsewhere for meaning.
Megan Rapinoe on kneeling prior to her team's game last week to show her support for Kaepernick: 'Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties.' Up until then, she had always stood before the flag, including at this summer's Olympics.
I read an article about Kaepernick early this summer, far before any national anthems were played. A teammate quoted in the article thought Kaepernick was looser, more himself. I've always thought people who felt free to be who they are at work got a lot more accomplished.
I wonder if one reason so many find work lacking in meaning is the great emphasis on know-how. The more a job requires know-how, the more replaceable one feels. Work becomes a list of objectives that anyone can fulfill and you just happen to be the person doing it now. You are required to contort yourself so you fit into the definition for a role. The next automation tool, the next wave of outsourcing, the next economic crunch, the next young kid coming out of school, any of those might make you and your knowledge redundant.
A workplace where you can fully be yourself is sometimes one of great meaning. It brings out the best in you. It brings out what is only in you.
In a place like that, you can bide your time while you seek out the true meaning of your life. Instead of joining a rat-race to accumulate know-how, your challenge is to find ways to best apply your unique strengths to the problems at hand.
A friend of mine has a theory. People want their strengths to be unique to them and their weaknesses to be shared with others. Or something like that. The theory is in its early days. But I like it.
49er teammate Eric Reid knelt last week. He intends to continue showing his support for Kaepernick throughout the season: 'These issues are much bigger than the game of football. . . . We love this country so much that we want it to be better.' He went on to cite the treatment of military veterans as one of the areas this country needs to improve in, that we need to change.
One way to make work more meaningful is to make it less about know-how and more about emphasizing each person's individual capacity to contribute. If who you are is important, then you are less replaceable in a workplace that relies on it. Everyone's strengths start to become unique.
Homeless veterans ask passerby around them for change all the time. I think people try to give them a quarter back, if they can, but nickels and dimes are more prevalent.
People always seek meaning. If it is not found in work, they look elsewhere. On the other hand, when people do find meaning, sometimes they come back to work with that knowledge. They infuse meaning into what others insist is meaningless. They try to make it their life's work because they have no other choice. What you do all day is what you do your whole life. They simply must do it.
A working person is someone who contributes to society. I've always thought that many people make their biggest contribution to society through parenting. And I've heard parents find their work very meaningful. I'm not surprised. A parent is literally irreplaceable. They bring out the best of what is in them, and only them, each day.
Football fans have always regarded preseason games as meaningless. The things that happen in preseason are generally disregarded.
A quick note in case you were thinking of applying for a parenting position- parents don't really get days off. They don't actually get all that money I cited earlier. I'm not sure if they relaxed yesterday or not.
On the other hand, there are no meaningless days because it all adds up. I'm a little hazy on the details, obviously.
It is always fascinating to watch someone search for meaning. It is messy at first. You have no idea what they are trying to do or say. It is like crawling, it is crawling. At some point, coherence or structure may emerge, or not.
Progress is small, at first, in a search for meaning. Baby steps. Good support, such as a place where you can be yourself, is very helpful at this stage. You wander and you wonder safely.
Over time, everything starts to add up. The big idea starts to emerge. You start to infuse the things around you with bits and pieces of yourself.
You can't help it if you believe in it. Your growth challenges the fixed boundaries around you.
Sometimes, you are accommodated. The stars are rearranged every time we add a state.
Sometimes, you aren't. The stripes always line up the same way.
Symbolic things work that way- it is either/or and not necessarily consistent. That's why people seek meaning, not symbols. Meaning lasts much longer.
This country has always found ways to honor contributions through symbols.
Labor Day is one such symbol. But Labor Day didn't always exist. It came into being because someone found meaning. Others then found a symbolic place for it.
The flag is one such symbol. It came into being because someone found meaning in certain ideals. No one rejects these ideals today, the ones that I remember in the ending to the Pledge of Allegiance- 'for liberty and justice to all'.
And yet, it does seem like we are losing track of these ideals. If important ideals are being lost, someone needs to point it out. Otherwise, we risk moving further away from achieving liberty and justice to all.
It is OK to disagree with an idea. It is OK to disagree with a symbolic representation of an idea. Having good intentions does not excuse offending or hurting others. Sometimes, what we say, write, or do as we seek meaning wounds others despite our best intentions to do differently. All we can do in these cases is to resolve to do better next time. All we can do is refine our approach.
We have to believe in our own capacity to change and to grow as we seek the meaning in what we do. We have to do the same with others. We have to understand the ideals to aim for in the process of becoming the best country that we can be and we must never settle by describing what falls short as 'good enough' or as 'representing progress'.
Hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing Labor Day. According to Google, the holiday is held in honor of working people. It is also the (unofficial) end of summer, book-ending the season that (unofficially) started on Memorial Day.
Of course, seasons don't really start or end. It is hard to tell sometimes when things start or end. It is symbolic more than anything to say that a particular season starts or ends. To label a portion of time 'summer' or 'winter' lends a semblance of meaning to a particular time of year.
Labor Day honoring 'working people' brings the meaning of 'working people' into question. I'm not working today. Probably not doing so tomorrow, either. I wonder if I should have taken yesterday off. Off from what, right?
The holiday was not always about working people or a final weekend trip
Perhaps it would have been disrespectful to the memory of those in the labor movement to not take yesterday off. Symbolic gestures are hard to understand, occasionally.
I think a working person is someone whose thoughts and actions contribute to society. I suppose this celebrates almost everyone. I like that it includes groups often left out of the 'working people' category- full time caretakers, authors of pointless blogs, parents, so on.
Meanings change over time, I guess. I never knew that Labor Day started to honor the labor movement. I assumed it was for working people in the present day. I suppose taking the day off is one way to honor those who sacrificed in the process of contributing to the well-being of this country.
One way meanings change is because symbols change. Labor Day was a day off because one hundred years ago days off were much rarer than they are today. It was symbolic to have a day off to celebrate an achievement. It was symbolic to have a day off to honor the memory of those lost. Those things are not so symbolic today thanks to such innovations as paid time off and bereavement leave.
The achievements of trade unions at the time were significant. They were more than sufficient to merit a symbolic day of celebration. Maybe it was a symbolic day to honor those killed during the Pullman Strike or perhaps the many more who suffered as they contributed to our railroads. History is a little hazy on those details.
Another way meanings change is when someone points out something, particularly if it is true. Someone pointed out once that the cost of replacing all the work a full-time parent does through nannies, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs, laundry services, and so on, all summed up, would equal quite the annual salary. Nearly $120k, according to salary.com's 14th annual Mom Salary Survey. That is a lot of money.
Long ago, I'm sure full time parents much more readily accepted the notion that they were not 'working people'. That's how society was, I'm told. Things have changed over time. The meaning of work has changed over time.
Sometimes the job itself provides meaning. Other times, an industry or organization is obviously meaningful. In certain cases, the employees have to find meaning for themselves. But the meaning is rarely fixed. Whatever the meaning now, it is always subject to change later.
I wonder what meaning the railroad union workers took from work. Was it the opportunity to build something that stitched a diverse nation together, to contribute to a nationwide project that linked east and west, that brought the liberty of movement to each and all, one tie at a time? Perhaps they felt obliged to continue the work of those who came before them, to ensure the work and sacrifices and suffering of many did not happen in vain.
Even vain people seek meaning. That is not always true, of course, but it does seems to be one of the universal human truths- people ultimately seek meaning. What is the meaning of life, what is the meaning of this song, what is the meaning of baseball, what is the meaning of that thing you just said, and all that and so forth.
It's always been true for me. Sometimes, I seek meaning here.
I used to play sports all the time. Back then, it meant something. I was in a new country with a different flag. I could fit in if I knew where the foul line or third base or the fifty-yard line was. I bet a lot of athletes started with a similar experience- finding meaning in a game because it meant they belonged somewhere.
I remember very few things from that time. Sports, obviously. The flag, I suppose. We stood in front of it every day and pledged allegiance and sang songs about it in second-grade music class. You're a grand old flag and all that.
A flag is symbolic. I like our flag. It looks cool because it is so different from most other flags- stars and stripes.
When we add states, the stars are adjusted. To me, this represents the best part of America. It has a unique capacity to grow and to change and to accept new things and ideas and people.
I never learned in school that it was symbolic gesture to sit down in front of the flag while everyone else is standing up.
A flag is symbolic. I do not like our flag. It looks ridiculous because it is so different from most other flags- stars and stripes.
When we add states, the stripes remain fixed. To me, this represents the worst part of America- its capacity to cling to the past and to outdated ideas and to worry about exactly where certain colors are supposed to go.
A symbolic thing has meaning. But the same symbol can have different meanings to different people. I imagine there are plenty of people like me who are conflicted by the contradictions presented by the symbols in their life.
Back when I used to play sports all day, I used to watch sports all day. I watched football. It was just another way to fit in and because of that it held great meaning. I developed knowledge, a know-how, about games and teams and leagues superior to many of my peers.
Conflicted feelings are nothing new to a football fan. We often wonder aloud what will happen to the NFL when somebody dies during a game. The collisions on each play are significant and the lifelong damage to many former players is well documented. A nationally televised death seems inevitable. Until then, we continue watching.
My know-how about football used to mean a great deal to me. It took a long time to accumulate that know-how. It made me irreplaceable in a particular way because no one else could replicate my knowledge.
The search for meaning is nothing new to a football fan. We often wonder aloud what team names actually mean. Do the Washington Redskins honor Native Americans? Do the San Francisco 49ers honor the Chinese immigrants who were systematically discriminated against throughout the gold rush?
My know-how about football is less relevant now. It does not have the same meaning anymore. And smartphones make my recall of facts and figures nearly redundant.
One player whose career I've followed with great interest is Colin Kaepernick. When he joined the NFL, the most notable element of his play was his speed. He could run faster than anyone. I noticed right away how he ran with the near-perfect technique that I have come to admire in my post-college years.
I wonder what football meant to Kaepernick when he was a little kid. Did he want to fit in like me? I've heard that he wanted to play for the San Francisco 49ers, just like he does now.
In August, Kaepernick sat down during the national anthem prior to his team's preseason game. This is currently a big story among football fans. It has become a big story, period. Even Donald Trump is weighing in! And it is only preseason.
I wonder if Kaepernick grew up in a place where education meant accumulating know-how. From my experience, so much focus in childhood was put on developing know-how in math, in science, in history. Especially history, the subject of facts and figures.
Everyone studied the labor disputes. People were killed. We learned when and where. Sometimes we knew the names of the leadership. We knew how. The point was know-how. Rare was the discussion about how people on both sides of this dispute must have felt.
I wonder if Kaepernick learned in school that it is a symbolic gesture to sit down in front of the flag while everyone else is standing up.
There are discussions about this all over the country. People know when and where Kaepernick sat. People know how he sat. The point of the discussion is know-how; what is the appropriate way to protest? The reaction is to the method more so than the message. And rare is the conversation that aims to connect how both sides are feeling.
A symbolic thing has many different meanings to many different people. A flag is symbolic.
To many, the flag represents the best that their loved ones sacrificed for the well-being of the country. To reject the flag is to dismiss the suffering that comes with losing a loved one.
To many others, the flag represents the worst that has been done to their loved ones by the country. To accept the flag is to dismiss the suffering that comes with losing a loved one.
Understanding feelings is really no help at all in addressing know-how questions. You can't get an A on that assignment. It will not help on the SAT. Maybe that is why schools focus on other things.
The response to Kaepernick has focused primarily on what little know-how can be gleaned from the situation. How should one protest? What is the way to state a message? Who is offended by the method?
Even President Obama is weighing in: '(Kaepernick) cares about some very serious issues that need to be talked about.' The president is acknowledging a right to protest.
A Forbes magazine headline also acknowledges this right while summarizing the focus on the know-how: 'Kaepernick has a right to protest but his execution needs work.'
Kaepernick, after his initial act was noted by the media: 'I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.'
When people talk about 'what side of the fence' they are on in terms of Kaepernick's protest, they are talking about his know-how, his execution of a symbolic gesture. I can't find anyone saying he should stop what he is doing because his original intent is false.
The strongest thing you can say against any statement is that it is false. I can't find that statement anywhere from anyone. No one has said, 'This country does not oppress people of color.'
When the Pullman Strike happened, President Cleveland ordered in the Army. I don't have any direct quotes. But it does seem like the president did not bother to acknowledge a right to protest. I don't think Forbes magazine was in print.
No one has said, 'This country does not oppress people', for that matter. Oppression is not always active. I feel withholding any and all support needed by a combat veteran returning home is a form of oppression. Perhaps the public money is needed to fund football stadiums.
Comparing what happened in Pullman with Kaepernick's protest, even partially, is a bit of a stretch. I could see it being read as such. Many died at Pullman. Nobody dies in a football game (unless by unpreventable accident, of course). The danger in trying to create anything new is the near-guarantee that the creator has no control over how it is interpreted.
The stakes of the jobs are so different. If a quarterback fails, he is told to refine his delivery. I don't know what a railroad worker is told when he fails. A long time ago, most of them did not even speak English.
One way to ensure that your creation is not misread is to always refine your delivery, to always find ways to work on your craft, to always work on how you present your message. In this way, over time even the point of the most poorly delivered initial message might come through in the next iteration. But you always have to know the point you are trying to get across.
Kaepernick is used to being told to 'refine his delivery'. That is football scouting lingo for someone whose throwing mechanics need improvement. He never had the best mechanics. Like I said, I've followed his career closely.
Meaning changes over time. For many athletes, I imagine the meaning of playing a sport changes as they transition from wide-eyed kid to professional player.
Last week, Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem. Other athletes have since joined him, within and outside football.
I suppose it is possible that a professional athlete may find no meaning at all from the sport they play. It becomes a job. A lot of people take no meaning from their work. They look elsewhere for meaning.
Megan Rapinoe on kneeling prior to her team's game last week to show her support for Kaepernick: 'Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties.' Up until then, she had always stood before the flag, including at this summer's Olympics.
I read an article about Kaepernick early this summer, far before any national anthems were played. A teammate quoted in the article thought Kaepernick was looser, more himself. I've always thought people who felt free to be who they are at work got a lot more accomplished.
I wonder if one reason so many find work lacking in meaning is the great emphasis on know-how. The more a job requires know-how, the more replaceable one feels. Work becomes a list of objectives that anyone can fulfill and you just happen to be the person doing it now. You are required to contort yourself so you fit into the definition for a role. The next automation tool, the next wave of outsourcing, the next economic crunch, the next young kid coming out of school, any of those might make you and your knowledge redundant.
A workplace where you can fully be yourself is sometimes one of great meaning. It brings out the best in you. It brings out what is only in you.
In a place like that, you can bide your time while you seek out the true meaning of your life. Instead of joining a rat-race to accumulate know-how, your challenge is to find ways to best apply your unique strengths to the problems at hand.
A friend of mine has a theory. People want their strengths to be unique to them and their weaknesses to be shared with others. Or something like that. The theory is in its early days. But I like it.
49er teammate Eric Reid knelt last week. He intends to continue showing his support for Kaepernick throughout the season: 'These issues are much bigger than the game of football. . . . We love this country so much that we want it to be better.' He went on to cite the treatment of military veterans as one of the areas this country needs to improve in, that we need to change.
One way to make work more meaningful is to make it less about know-how and more about emphasizing each person's individual capacity to contribute. If who you are is important, then you are less replaceable in a workplace that relies on it. Everyone's strengths start to become unique.
Homeless veterans ask passerby around them for change all the time. I think people try to give them a quarter back, if they can, but nickels and dimes are more prevalent.
People always seek meaning. If it is not found in work, they look elsewhere. On the other hand, when people do find meaning, sometimes they come back to work with that knowledge. They infuse meaning into what others insist is meaningless. They try to make it their life's work because they have no other choice. What you do all day is what you do your whole life. They simply must do it.
A working person is someone who contributes to society. I've always thought that many people make their biggest contribution to society through parenting. And I've heard parents find their work very meaningful. I'm not surprised. A parent is literally irreplaceable. They bring out the best of what is in them, and only them, each day.
Football fans have always regarded preseason games as meaningless. The things that happen in preseason are generally disregarded.
A quick note in case you were thinking of applying for a parenting position- parents don't really get days off. They don't actually get all that money I cited earlier. I'm not sure if they relaxed yesterday or not.
On the other hand, there are no meaningless days because it all adds up. I'm a little hazy on the details, obviously.
It is always fascinating to watch someone search for meaning. It is messy at first. You have no idea what they are trying to do or say. It is like crawling, it is crawling. At some point, coherence or structure may emerge, or not.
Progress is small, at first, in a search for meaning. Baby steps. Good support, such as a place where you can be yourself, is very helpful at this stage. You wander and you wonder safely.
Over time, everything starts to add up. The big idea starts to emerge. You start to infuse the things around you with bits and pieces of yourself.
You can't help it if you believe in it. Your growth challenges the fixed boundaries around you.
Sometimes, you are accommodated. The stars are rearranged every time we add a state.
Sometimes, you aren't. The stripes always line up the same way.
Symbolic things work that way- it is either/or and not necessarily consistent. That's why people seek meaning, not symbols. Meaning lasts much longer.
This country has always found ways to honor contributions through symbols.
Labor Day is one such symbol. But Labor Day didn't always exist. It came into being because someone found meaning. Others then found a symbolic place for it.
The flag is one such symbol. It came into being because someone found meaning in certain ideals. No one rejects these ideals today, the ones that I remember in the ending to the Pledge of Allegiance- 'for liberty and justice to all'.
And yet, it does seem like we are losing track of these ideals. If important ideals are being lost, someone needs to point it out. Otherwise, we risk moving further away from achieving liberty and justice to all.
It is OK to disagree with an idea. It is OK to disagree with a symbolic representation of an idea. Having good intentions does not excuse offending or hurting others. Sometimes, what we say, write, or do as we seek meaning wounds others despite our best intentions to do differently. All we can do in these cases is to resolve to do better next time. All we can do is refine our approach.
We have to believe in our own capacity to change and to grow as we seek the meaning in what we do. We have to do the same with others. We have to understand the ideals to aim for in the process of becoming the best country that we can be and we must never settle by describing what falls short as 'good enough' or as 'representing progress'.
I think something similar is at play when we seek meaning in work. To find the work that means most to us, we must know what our ideals are and resolve to do better when we fall short. It is OK to consider external factors so long as we can keep these ideals in mind. It takes time to figure it all out.
A belief in our own capacity to change and to grow as we seek this answer is critical. The temptation to dismiss this challenge by labeling what we do all day as 'just a job' is significant. Standing up to this temptation is easier if we are constantly seeking to do better but making something easier does not make it easy.
A belief in our own capacity to change and to grow as we seek this answer is critical. The temptation to dismiss this challenge by labeling what we do all day as 'just a job' is significant. Standing up to this temptation is easier if we are constantly seeking to do better but making something easier does not make it easy.
Over a century has passed since a group of people found meaning in their work by starting a movement to better themselves and the community around them. Their movement led to a holiday in its honor. It is our great fortune to live in a place where we can find meaning in work without having to risk so much in return.
The challenge to honor the sacrifices of those who have passed is a massive one. We owe so much to so many that sometimes we do almost the opposite. The least we can do to commemorate Labor Day is to continue to seek meaning in what we do each day, whether at work or elsewhere, and maintain the spirit of contribution to self and community that liberty demands of us.
Many thanks to those patiently waiting for this post. Back on Friday (probably) at the usual time.
Tim
