Work is Easy - It's Everything Else in Life that's Hard!

A few weeks ago, I picked up a new client and started doing something I hadn’t done in at least forty years; I started going to work with a packed lunch, leaving the house in time to get to the factory at 7:30, and getting back home at 4:30.

And, I should add, loving it!

Many of my friends and neighbours were caught off guard by this. “Why would you choose to do that?” they’d ask, and “what do you mean ‘you love it’?”

I know where they’re coming from. I should be retired – in fact, I should’ve been retired for years. I tried retiring a couple of times, but I found retirement turned out to be harder than folks may think.

When I tried the first time, I thought I’d get to shed responsibilities and obligations and would have a lot of free time to focus on all the “want to” things in life instead of the “have to” things in life. But I was wrong.

The “have to” things in life are everywhere, and without a regular job, there was no nice convenient place to hide from them.

Teenagers are hard to raise, and if you’re paying attention, it’s easy to see how busy their parents (my children) are, and how important it is to help fill in some of the gaps. Getting the kids (or grandkids) to and from key events, or even just getting them interested in doing constructive and positive activities for their development, can be challenging. There is so much at risk today by letting kids go unengaged in positive activities for long periods of time. Getting them engaged takes effort. Keeping them involved takes commitment. It's not easy.

Home ownership was easier for my generation and doing it on a single income with a stay-at-home parent was possible then too. Not today. Wanting to see your kids raise their children in a decent home means helping out where and when you can and getting involved in their children’s lives, and sorry if I offend anyone in my generation, but thinking you’re entitled to spend life your life working on your golf game or tending to your hobbies doesn’t cut it.

Politics is hard, and so is just listening to the news. It’s hard because you need to pay close attention and do your own research and put some critical thought into it. If you don’t - and if you’re being really honest with yourself right now – you’re abdicating the control and responsibility of society to a group of people that may not be serving the common good of society for the benefit of your children and grandchildren, and they are likely not honouring the sacrifice of the previous generations that resulted in the freedoms and opportunities your (our) generation benefited from. It’s easy to simply accept the narratives because they come from publicly funded media (government), and believe that since they are repeated so often, they must be true. Or, if you’re like me and don’t find the news credible, or social media as anything but incredible and credulous, you take the easy route and turn off or tune out.

Staying properly and accurately informed today is hard work.

Taking care of aging parents is another stress for many people. I have one parent left and he’s into his 90’s and in a home. The home covers off the daily shelter, hygiene and food needs, but there are many other things involved, including finances, but more importantly, the need for company, time and attention, and advocacy. Those needs increase as their health and abilities decline.

In short, relationships are hard. Families are demanding. The pressures of life are relentless.

Even in my two attempts at retirement (first time when I was 55, and second time a decade later), I found it hard to keep myself active and engaged in interesting and meaningful things. I recall my father-in-law congratulating me on my first retirement attempt, saying “son, every day now is a Saturday”. It was fun for a while, but soon Saturdays lost their meaning.

Working for me was (and is) natural, easy, satisfying, and a whole lot less expensive. Plus, when you’re working, Saturdays once again are special.

Yes, work comes with responsibilities and obligations, uncertainties and challenges, but they start at 7:30 and end at 3:30. At work, the outcomes that are expected of you, or for your shift, are well defined, and 50% of what’s required to achieve those goals is just a matter of showing up on time.

Work gives meaning and purpose with clearly laid out boundaries, definitions, rules and objectives. It’s not that easy with all the other things in life.

I know that life has more meaning and purpose than just work, but even with work, the more important and more difficult things still get as much energy as I can pour into them. ‘Having to go to work’ helps put some boundaries and limits on how much I do pour in, because every one of those more important things can draw every last ounce of whatever I have to give, and still not be enough. Work brings a rhythm and cadence to life.

When it comes right down to it, the work part of my is easy, and always has been. It’s everything else in life that’s hard.