A book for the retired, unemployed, and overworked.
When pondering the age-old question, "Why do we work?" If I were to ask twenty co-workers the question, there would probably be twenty different answers for all twenty different people I asked. Some are the spouses of prominent surgeons at our hospital and surely don't financially need to work, and others are in my position financially and rely heavily on their job for survival. If someone were to ask me the same questions, my answer would most likely be, "To make enough money to live." Notice I didn't phrase the answer, "To make enough money to live happily ever after." .
I recently changed positions within the same company (hospital) and the change was for the better. I went from dreading going to work everyday due to a conflict of personalities with my direct co-worker, to a job where there is appreciation shown on a daily basis and not minding getting up at 6:00 a.m. to go to work. But, note that I also took a small pay-cut, equaling less than a dollar less an hour, but none-the-less a cut in my precious pay. Even though that is likely the reason a good portion of us work, or at least a reason why we think we work, it isn't mine. After reading Zelinski's book, "The Joy of Not Working", I have a better appreciation for my reasons of working. Life is way too short NOT to enjoy your work.
At my present job, I make enough money to pay the bills (car payment/insurance/utilities/lot rent/food/general "up-keep"/etc.), but should an unexpected emergency arise, such as car trouble or any other situation that would require extra finances, I rely heavily on my closest relatives; parents and sister. I don't make enough money to pay for my college tuition, yet I don't meet the minimum requirements for financial aid. Again, enter my family; my sister and her husband finance my education. Yes, I am aware just how lucky I am to have relatives who wouldn't think twice about helping their child/little sister out, but at the same time I also feel extremely dependent on them.
