I’m back to the old 40-hour work week and I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand I’m glad to have a decent job and to keep myself busy. On the other hand, there’s so many other things I wish I could do. It’s an age-old dilemma.
Money is the common denominator.
Why do we work? Money, of course. I’d be lying if I said I’d keep doing what I’m doing if I was independently wealthy. I wouldn’t. But I’d still likely be working in some capacity.
My biggest complaint about the standard 40-hour work week is simply how much time we must sacrifice for the money. However, I won’t be fooled by promises of four-hour work weeks. I’ve read my share of get-rich-quick shit. Guess what? It’s not true. In order to reach the point of having the illusive four-hour work week, you might need to work 80-hour weeks for 20 years. No thanks.
I happen to like what I’m doing. I recently worked for the USPS for a couple of months. It was hell. But now that I’m back in an academic setting and working with students, I’m much happier about trading 40 hours for a paycheck. However, it does limit my creative ventures. And that can sting a little.
There’s so much I want to do.
Life keeps getting shorter and it feels like I could accomplish so much more if only I had more time. If I had a wish list that would be granted, here are just a few of the things I’d be doing.
- Playing live music.
- Getting songs published.
- Writing and publishing books.
- Writing and publishing chapbooks.
- Creating music for movies.
- Practicing photography daily.
- Making a profitable blog/side business.
- Traveling internationally.
The problem is that life isn’t so simple when we have to work for a living. After my 40-hour work week, I still have to do all my household duties. exercise, shop, clean, etc. And let’s face it, at 61 years old, I want to go to bed early. So, my creativity suffers.
What to expect now?
If I knew I’d tell you straight. The problem is that I don’t really know. I do know that I often think about what I hope I could do.
Now that I’m in the Nashville area, I hope I might perform at some open mic nights. I hope I might meet some other creatives and work on some collaborative projects. I’d also like to get out and practice photography with my new camera. And that entrepreneurial voice keeps nagging at me. I’d really like to make something that creates a residual income.
But I’m working 40 hours a week. And I’ll probably continue to do so for at least another four years. – dse
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