Essay/Term paper: Work and play

Essay, term paper, research paper:  College Book Reports

In society, there are usually two main groups when associated with their mentality towards work. But is there a distinction between work, play, and creative expressions? Art is anything that requires creation or imagination. An artist, a writer, or a pianist probably enjoys what they do for a living because they have that talent to make that happen for them in their career. You can say that an artist will never retire because they have that passion and dedication to draw even when they get old. Sad to say, most people who do retire probably never liked their job or what they did for a living. Otherwise, why retire to something you love so dearly?

"Living to Work", by Dorothy L. Sayers examines two classifications of people and their work. One group looks to work as a dreaded necessity, while the other group looks at their work as an opportunity for enjoyment and self-fulfillment. Altogether, their values, interests, and hard work all come down to money. For many, a "successful" worker is one who makes the most income and achieves the most fame. When it comes to interviews, the main questions are wages and hours. These people often fail to consider if the work is their actual passion--to do something they love. Partial blame goes out to our capitalist system and industrial machinery. We forget why we wake up each morning lose focus of what work really should be. But overall, the fact is that we must arrange our ideas where everybody has an opportunity to work hard and find happiness in doing well the work that needs to be done.

I believe working in factories is the most difficult job to have because the machines practically take over. Most workers have the same routine over and over again. No wonder these workers hate going to work. For those who see it as a career, they have to face the job for almost their whole life; gradually, their indifference eats up the enthusiasm, giving them nothing to look forward to each morning. No wonder people die to retire early. Since our economy is now based on industrial machinery, majority of the workers either work at factories or industries. It leaves us with no imagination and by the end of the day, we become exhausted by lifting, moving, rearranging, or whatever factory work entails. There is absolutely no form of creative expression or art anywhere.

However, art does not necessary mean drawing, or filling a blank canvas. It simply means being open or idealistic in what you do. Many people lose the option to choose what they want to do because physical stress or financial stability becomes the main concern. If that is the case, then we all should attempt to see work as an opportunity to associate with strangers, to learn, or just to be satisfied with your own accomplishments. In the end, you are the only person to motivate yourself at having a good time. If you start thinking that work is pain and stressful, you will have no passion or motivation to do anything in your life. Spice it up a bit!

So if all this stress and negativity is in your way, why continue to work? Most people would say money. Some families are on welfare, trying to earn as much income for their family, while others are simply trying to find ways to live in more luxurious homes. Due to distractions, many employees tend to believe that the only time to relax and live in comfort is to retire with the money they earned. Perhaps this is why people choose high paying jobs, where they have little affinity.

Besides industries and corporations, what happens with the people who paint and write for a living? I can"t say that they have or will earn as much money as others out there. But certainly the majority of these kind of "workers" end life with a greater sense of achievement and perhaps satisfaction. Certainly, their passion will allow them to continue working after that "certain" age. Maybe that"s what people mean by never retiring.