Monday, September 03, 2012

Busman's Holiday

On the Sunday before Labor Day, I volunteered to help at the My Place of Worship (MPOW) church library.  I usually don't volunteer for activities I do every day, but when the call came for help, this duty was the easiest to fit into a "teach on demand" schedule.  Actually, I enjoyed spending the 90 minutes there and meeting some of the dedicated cadre of volunteers this church has developed.  How many people engage in activities related to their work on their own time?

What is it about some occupations that lend interest outside the workplace?  I'm not sure, but I did a search on religious aspects of work and finally decided the  Subject, "Quality of Work" was the closest to what I wanted.  Although I didn't find a reference work, America at Work, seemed to fit some of the issues we need to consider before we misplace our priorities. 

"According to sociologists, life is divided into three parts: work, worship and play.  Unfortunately, we worship our work, play at our worship, and work at our play."  This quote has been attributed to many people and I have not found the exact source yet.  Help would be appreciated.  

Do holidays like Labor Day encourage these off balance attitudes. Certainly these days should be times when we pause and reflect on the meaning of work and labor and probably also think about those who are still enslaved throughout the world.

No comments: