Currency of Fun

by | Nov 10, 2011

Is there a common belief in society that work – in general – is hard and “not fun”? I wonder …

This subject arose when Knight, our teenage son, arrived home from work one day without “clocking in” as his boss requested of him. Knight protested, “I was having so much fun. I could not get paid for work.” His response made me wonder, does he believe work is hard and not supposed to be fun.  So, I asked him.  He proclaimed, “no, not at all. I have a blast at work. And today was particularly great. You know mom, they don’t have to pay me more than minimum wage, but they do. Today, I did not teach. I just hung out with all of the kids.” Ah, here’s what’s underneath. While he doesn’t hold the belief that work is hard, he does not see the unique value in his presence. Not all work produces an immediate tangible result. Sometimes just your presence is plenty. What’s your view of work, fun or hard? And, do you have a view on being paid for presence?