There are many ingredients that must be in the mix in order for a society to become and remain healthy (or to regain its health). Because a society is simply individuals write large and because each individual – and hence society itself – is imperfect there will always be present both acute and chronic dis-eases which put at risk, undermine, and deplete a society’s health. For several months now I have been thinking about the ingredients that need to be in place for a society to be healthy.
A few weeks ago I found myself thinking about an ingredient that emerged into my consciousness – an ingredient that was not on my initial list. So this morning Gentle Reader I will be sharing with you some of what has emerged for me as I thought about this ingredient. What is this ingredient? Work!
Now we know that most adults in our Society spend the majority of their adult years (think: 25 to 65 years of age) at work (or thinking about work and driving to-from work and doing ‘extra work’ while at home – taken together the number can become staggering). Given this.
It is crucial that adults like their work, find it meaningful and find that it is productive (think: contributes to the well-being of self and others). Consider,
Gentle Reader, that Society has an obligation to ask (or is it require or even demand) each Adult to perform his/her work with ‘Skill’ and that the work also be more enhancing (think: Morally Good) than depleting (although for some, for example, ‘Greed is Good!’).
I am now thinking of two people: Mrs. Kelly and Phil Adelman. I grew up in a small city in Wisconsin (18,000 strong at the time). There were, of course, three family owned restaurants (well, one was a drive-in aptly named ‘The Beer Hut’ – we were, after all in Wisconsin). One restaurant was located on the corner of Main Street (of course) and Division Street. Mrs. Kelly was a waitress there. She was ‘on duty’ five days a week from 11:30am-8:30pm. Patrons would ask that they be placed at a table that Mrs. Kelly would attend to – our family did put in the same request. As an adult I would often think about Mrs. Kelly. She loved being a waitress. She loved serving and caring for others. She loved people. It was obvious (the ‘obvious’ that comes with hindsight) that her ‘work’ was in itself meaningful for her (and for us).
I first met Phil Adelman when the taxi cab I was riding in pulled up to the front of the Marriott Hotel in Cambridge, MA and the doorman opened the door and smiled at me as he greeted me. Phil Adelman was the doorman. I spent four nights at the hotel. During the time I began to get to know Phil Adelman. Six months later I returned to this hotel. Phil Adelman opened the cab’s door. He looked at me, smiled and said ‘Welcome back Mr. Smith, it’s been about six months hasn’t it.’ Now I decided that I really needed to get to know this fellow. I had three more visits to his hotel and spent more time getting to know Phil Adelman (by watching him and by talking with other ‘guests’ and by talking with other Marriott employees). Phil Adelman loved his ‘work’ and was committed to serving in a way that enhanced those he served. The General Manager also told me that he would offer suggestions as to how the hotel could improve (there was an open invitation to all employees to offer suggestions for improvement). I was told that close to 70% of Phil Adelman’s suggestions were implemented (he would offer 1-2 suggestions a month). Phil Adelman told me ‘I was created for this work!’
Our Society was healthier because of Mrs. Kelly and Phil Adelman. They left their little part of the world a better place because of who they were and because of the work they performed for the well-being of others (and for their own well-being).
How about you, Gentle Reader. Where you ‘created’ for the work you do? Is your work, in and of itself, meaningful for you? Are you ‘effective’? Is your work ‘morally enhancing’ for yourself and for others? Is your work a ‘job’ or is it a ‘calling’?
Searcher-Seeker 