Living to Work: The Most Mind-Boggling Phrase in the English Language

I know that there are people who, "live to work." I know this because Hollywood makes movies about them, and how they find the true meaning of their lives, and stop being idiots. I know that these people exist because Oprah has them on with Dr. Phil and they cry on national television about how their daddies didn't love them so they work hard to make themselves feel good, while they ignore their loved ones and their own wellbeing. I know these people exist because without them fast food joints and big box retailers wouldn't be open on holidays. I know they exist, but it doesn't make any sense to me.

Anyone that knows me (or anyone that has read a couple of these blogs) probably knows that I do not, "live to work." It is often questioned whether I work enough to live. I do, in case you were wondering. I work hard (when I'm at work), I take pride in my job and enjoy pleasing my employer. It ain't what I live for though.

I live for Saturdays. I live for Sunday afternoon watching the Saints with my feet propped up on the coffee table and a beer in my hand. I live for those couple of hours at night when Mrs Rogue and I can snuggle on the couch watching some TV or sneak off mid-week to get dinner and a movie. I live for Christmas day with my family (by marriage or birth) playing cards, opening presents and laughing with each other. I live for my friends, visiting at our favorite local bar or smack-talking over a video game. I live for life. I work to make that all possible.

How can this not be what everybody else does? At what point do you surrender yourself to being a workaholic? How can that ever take the place of all the fun things you were earning the money to do? I guess I'm asking these questions in vain, because let's face it, the people who could answer them probably don't spend a lot of time reading blogs. Too bad, their loss.

I was going to write an "Ode to the Paycheck" today, but in truth it's not the paycheck that I want to celebrate, it's the freedom that the paycheck affords. I work for a living. I enjoy my job, and do my best at it. Some day this talent I have for stringing words together in interesting and often humorous ways is going to start paying my bills and then I won't have a boss, but I will have a lot of fun.