I know a lot of people who love their jobs, or who at least need a place to go every day. Some people like the social interaction, as well. (I've had jobs like that, but this isn't one of them.) Would you work if you didn't have to? Does your job give you a sense of fulfillment, or could you happily amuse yourself doing other things?

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

Answers

I definitely wouldn't work if I didn't have to. A good chunk of my journal dwells on how much life my job drains from me. However, as I prepare to quit (my husband makes enough for the both of us), I get scared by the implications of being dependent on someone else.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I think it's a huge cosmic error on someone's part that I was not born rich. I would have been such a *good* rich girl, and an even better rich woman.

So yeah, the answer is, I could very easily be happy doing other things besides riding a Muni bus to an office building almost every day and then sitting in a cube in front of a computer screen for 7 hours.

I've had *much* worse jobs than this, but if I won the lottery or something, I'd leave in a heartbeat and never look back.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I would still work, but even less part-time then I do now (probably 20 hours/week VS the 35 I currently put in), mornings only and I would only see clients I like! Oh to win the lottery..... :-)

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I'd quit in a heartbeat & never look back. I do kind of like my job-- I just don't like working. If I had to keep working, telecommuting part time would be perfect.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I'm not sure if I'd give up my career if I had the chance (won Lotto or a really big personal injury case or something). I do enjoy what I do a lot sometimes, and I've been known to come in on weekends just because I was kind of bored at home and I knew I could get something accomplished in the lab. And really, being a scientist (or a scientist-in-training) has been a very large part of how I've defined myself my whole life, and I'm not quite sure that my self-image would survive the transition from "scientist" to "person of leisure". However, there are days (or weeks, or even months sometimes) where I feel like I could quite happily spend the rest of my life doing nothing in particular. I suspect that's just stress talking, though, and that I'd probably be so dead bored after a month of sitting at home on my ass that I'd need to give away a bunch of money and find a job again.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

But why would anyone who could do anything they wanted sit at home on their ass all day, if that's not what they wanted to do?

That's the part I don't "get" I guess, when people say they'd go out and get a job because they'd be bored if they didn't have one.

I *never* get bored when I'm not at work. I can always find something to do or think about that's more interesting to me than what I'd be doing at the office.

And even if I was thrilled with what I do at the office, if I didn't have to do it for money, then I could still do however much I wanted of it and have lost of time to do other things as well.

Working full time just takes up so much more energy than the 7 hours I spend in the office, and that's the part of it I really hate, as well as the aspect of knowing that my labor is making someone *else* very rich, but it's sure not making *me* rich.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

Absolutely freaking not. I'd leave skidmarks.

I have about 19 things I'd love to do that aren't going to burn up lots of money, but would need huge amounts of time. Ooohhh, yes, I'd keep busy. Currently, I'm working as a geek at a help desk; there's a certain job satisfaction in helping people with their problems, but this is pretty much balanced by the brainless nimrods who can't tell which is the computer and which is the monitor, so I'd be able to close the curtain on this career in a heartbeat.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

If I were independently wealthy, I would probably keep myself busy pursuing my many hobbies (travel, knitting, reading, learning foreign languages, etc). I like to think that I would supplement this with some kind of involvement in good works; arts education, welfare rights, food banks, things of that ilk.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

No, no and no.

I used to be one of those people that said that even if I won the lottery, I'd still work, maybe 20 hours a week. But what the hell was I smoking? I can barely crawl my ass out of bed after TWO days off!

I'm so looking forward to three months off when the baby comes. Even if we can't afford it, I'm still taking 3 months off. Maybe not the best financial move, but I want that bonding time dammit! And I don't want to deal with the work thing for three months. (=

It's just a matter of time before Jake gets a bazillion promotions that will allow me to quit working. (= I don't know how thrilled HE would be with that prospect, though. (=

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I've got a lot of hobbies, which could conceivably keep me well occupied through the rest of my life. Let me feel that one momentary twinge of guilt, then let me get back to blogging and collecting stamps. :)

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I was unemployed for 11 months in 91/92 during the height of the recession. It wiped me out financially but I learned that I could be perfectly happy without going into work everyday. If I became a woman of independent means, I have a dozen interests and causes I'd love to work on. I wouldn't vow to never work again; there might be things I'd enjoy pursuing that came with a paycheck attached.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I love my job. I love the people at it, and I really love what I do. I also love my kid. If I had my way, I'd work half-time and play with the boy (and in April the girl) the other half.

There's always stuff to do at home. I love to sew, cook and get domestic, but I really do love working out in the world, too. When Mike finally graduates and gets a real job, I'm going to find something half-time, so I can have the social interaction stuff and the fulfillment thang going on, and then I can go home and be Mom the other half of the day.

Wendy

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I like my job and I really like my co-workers, but I would be very happy to be able to walk away from it. I never get bored at home. I have many home projects that need to be done, many books to read, flower beds to plant, and many destinations on my travel list. The only thing is that I might get lonely. I have noticed that being single at this age (59) is a little like being invisible. I spend most weekends without talking to anyone except sales clerks. However, if I didn't have to work, then I would have the time and energy to join gardening clubs, hiking clubs, travel clubs, etc. and do things where I could meet people and be with people.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

If I became suddenly rich, I'd quit my current job and take a new job. Then when I got tired of that one, I'd take another one.

I don't like sitting on my butt at home all the time (I was sick at home for a week recently and it drove me insane) but I get tired of working at the same job all the time, too.

I think I'd like to be a travel agent, and then after that a substitute teacher, and after that a flight attendant, and after that a photographer, and then for awhile I'd learn to throw clay pots, and then maybe I'd be a taxicab driver for awhile. I'd like to do all those things, unfortunately at this stage in my life I need to work at my boring old office job where I get paid $15/hr. Sigh.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I've already told a number of people that if I became independently weathly (via the lottery or other means) I'd make one phone call. It'd be to my boss to "call in rich." I'd be out of here so fast the chair would spin. There are so many other things that I'd rather be doing.

I'd still work, but I'd do the things I love, not the things I do to pay the mortgage.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

i am of the male persuasion, with the natural equipment - - - wow i am glad i got that out of the way, so hat i could say what i want to - - - if i can put it together a bit.

work - wage earning work was part of my life before i met my mate to be, it continued to be part of my life (a big part) on through my working life. (retired now)

it broadened my life and enabled me to relate to a wide variety of people and their ways and philosophies. it taught me how to be an interested friend, not manipulating or accusing, a good part of the time just being a good listener.

work gave me goals, sometimes it was just how to outsmart the boss - - and do some actual productive work. of course progression in wages, and many other things.

as i grew older i could see that working helped me to see life as the younger people around me saw it. at age 54 i began work at this unnamed corporation. at the time co workers were coming in from high school and trade school. they grew and i grew in understanding of life in general.

i retired at the age of 69, not because i wanted to but because it was either take the buyout in a given timeframe or take chances on being laid off - - with much fewer benefits.

in my life i had plenty of time to do the things i wanted to do, raised a family of 5 (with and equal partnership with the wife) and saw all of my grandchildren hit the scene and begin to grow up.

i think that for a man, from the beginning the focus is work - as a child he knows he will have to work to live - work is not the reason for him, but will enable him to marry, have a family and support them while still being able to have fun and hobbies.

to each his own - - this is just my viewpoint.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I'm honestly not sure. I work the hours required and I do a good job, but when I go home or go on vacation, I don't miss it or get bored. The only times I've gone in when I didn't have to or stayed late was when I had a crush on a co-worker.

On the other hand, I do better when I have some structure to my life. I like my job, and the people I work with. Our culture has a lot of baggage about what you do being who you are. I'm not saying I'd stay in a job I didn't like just because of what people would think of me, but work is a big part of my self image. I've always gotten a lot of positive stuff at all my jobs, after years of school where I was told I was a big dissapointment and wasn't working up to potential.

I think if I didn't work, I'd end up taking classes or volunteering my time or making up projects for myself. Like I say, I don't get bored on my own, but I'm better if I have structure of some kind. If I didn't have to work, I could choose the structure.

Sadly, this isn't likely to happen - I'm the one who makes the most money, in our partnership...

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

If I won the lottery, or inherited a large sum of money from a relative, I'd stay here only as long as it took me to pack up my cds and Cartman poster, and then I'd be gone, baby, gone.

As it is, we could afford to have me quit my job, but I don't like the idea of not bringing in any of my own money.

http://www.bitchypoo.com/bitchypoo.html

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I'd keep practicing law, but not 70 hours a week. I'd definitely work in the public interest if there wasn't the mortgage to pay. I'd like to teach con law part time, if money was no object. Publish a few books on what Madison, Hamilton et al. were thinking when they wrote the Federalist, maybe anthologize the political philosophers who were the inspiration for them and the other Framers. Pretty prosaic dreams, yet unattainable from here.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

...i'd work only on what i love: da theater...

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I like working. And I like not working. I think I like the not working at an office more. I am free-lancing again, and I love the morning commute to my office. My last job ended at the end of last year,when my department was phased out with me in tow. I realized just how much of an impact I had on my co-workers in this small office when they didn't even acknowledge that I wasn't coming back. One later admitted that he didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. The process of closing the department took two and half months, so it wasn't a surprise to anyone. And I was the only one left working in the department in December. (They needed me, I was the manager.)

So I guess I like the NOT working right now. And yes, I think I am a little bitter.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2000

I'd quit working in a second. It's not much of a decision since I really hate my job. If I didnt have to worry about money, I could find much more satisfying ways to spend my time...going back to school, doing some kind of volunteer work, spending more time on the computer....I wouldnt miss work at all.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000

oh,there are so many books to indulge in,all of those films to catch up on,and heck without work I'd loose my last excuse for not writting that book which i've always told my friends I had every intention of finnishing. and why do we need to be in such a buzz all the time anyhow..? downtime,good?

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000

I'm with Colin -- I'd leave skidmarks!

I've always said that if I had the money, I'd just take classes ending in -ology, for the rest of my life. And I have lots of hobbies: hiking, birding, gardening, all kinds of crafts, baking. And I'd love to take some serious camping trips. I've always wanted to do one of those horseback camping trips in the Rockies.

I don't mind working, I've just never found anything I really enjoyed. I'm an admin: I file for a living, for godsakes. (Way to use that BA in biology!)

I thought I wanted to be a park ranger, but then I tried it. It was mostly maintenance and Leash Police duty -- bleah. My favorite stupid park job was running the leaf blower on a paved path -- through the woods.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000

It's a pretty sad world when everyone works jobs they don't care about and would rather not do. I, of course, am one of those people as well. I'd much rather spend all day writing, reading, getting to know ew people and travelling than being a webmaster. I'm hoping to be debt fre by summer and to then quit my good job and try to take enough part time crap jobs like dishwashing to pay my rent so I can spend more time doing the things I love. I may take full time jobs again for the sake of salting/organizing but I hope I never need to sell the majority of my time again just to keep fed and sheltered.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000

There's a definite theme here, isn't there? But yes, I would not rather be in paid employment either, but I dare say I'd still be working: On that novel I've been threatening to write, painting the flat, learning Spanish... At the moment I'm taking a 2 year break from a 'career' (whatever that means!) and am living abroad in London, working at an OK job, getting to travel and this month even sees me working from home. (bring on the jammies and cookie jar!) The problem is that it's still paid employment for an EMPLOYER and that's the bit that gets me. Bring on self-employment I say, bring on the discipline of heaving myself out of bed at a reasonable hour to run, breakfast, get cleaned up and actually hit the grindstone, without first getting on-line and chatting and surfing and and and...

I think its called discipline (I hope my boss isn't reading this!)

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000

While I'd certainly enjoy a few weeks or months off to finish a) The new versions of my shareware, b) Sorting my LEGO collection, and c) the basement, I've done self-employment and I've started my own company -- and found that I need a boss.

Towards the end of a project, I need a boss, however friendly and kind in reality, to loom over me in my mind or else the project will get shelved 90% done and I'll be on to the next project.

I will say, though, that after working at home for a week (our offices are in a state of flux, with our desks in the new office and our net connectivity in the old one), I'm not looking forward to going back.

A boss -and- a tin of gingersnaps? This I like

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000

Hell. Yeah.

I would make quilts and read books. My laundry would smell "april fresh", and would have no wrinkles. My house would be spotless. I would maybe take some cooking classes. I would make really interesting dinners and greet my husband at the door wearing something black and nasty.

My social interaction would occur over lunch with my friends. And since I am not expected back at work, I think I will have that second glass of wine.

See how good I would be?

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000

I'd do a part-time library or tutoring/advocacy type thing. I think I'd get bored if I didn't have _some_thing to do outside of the house, though I have a million hobbies.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000

I've already quit the job I'm currently in, not because we can afford it, but because I hate it sooo much. So, if we suddenly became independantly wealthy, hell no, we wouldnt work. Well OK, so we probably would set up our own server and hire our own techy guy to run it, and set up dialups in the USA and Australia, but that's not work, that's fun!

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000

Now way. I would be bored out of my mind within one week.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2000