Generation: Workaholic

I started a new term at school today (officially my last before I graduate) and I'm in this course called "Leisure and Culture". It's required. Anyway, so I thought I would hate this class and find it super boring but after reading my lectures for the week, I have a whole new developing outlook on life. We have become this society of people who don't work to live, we live to work and work to spend. It's not okay to just have the necessities, we have to buy useless crap to prove that we have money. We buy houses that are too big, cars that we can't afford to keep up the maintenance on, and toys we never enjoy. What's even worse is that we don't buy these things outright, we use our credit to buy the things we can't afford. Then, after we buy these extravagant luxuries, we work overtime to make our monthly payments, many times neglecting other aspects of our lives including family, religion, friends, etc. And after we have been heavily medicated due to the backbreaking work we performed our entire lives, we die; leaving behind our beautiful items to family that never really knew who we were.

Now don't get me wrong, I am completely guilty of this too. It's sad to look at it from this perspective though. Honestly, how many people in today's world can say they spend more time with their families (quality time, not multitasking time) than they do with work (that includes housework)? Being a stay at home mom you would think I could say that, but no. Most of my time is spent doing housework and schoolwork to prepare for a future career that will ultimately lead to less time with my family. Back in the 40s, it was expected that working Americans would only be required to devote 20 hrs/wk, or six months/year to paid employment. Instead of working less, we work about the same but commutes are longer, and less vacation time is taken due to the fear of losing our jobs. Of anyone reading this, how many of you used up all of your vacation time last year on actual relaxing time away from work, not sickness or other pressing matters? Not us! J had a 4 day liberty pass (kind of like a coupon), and used it to work on the Jeep project that still remains in our garage (it's not even ours). We are a generation of workaholics, unable to separate ourselves from our jobs and responsibilities, rarely allowing ourselves time to kick back and recharge.

Being a workaholic causes problems in all facets of our lives including personal health, marriage, family, etc. Our country has ridiculous divorce rates, horrible health, and a rising generation of neglected children. I'm not saying this is completely due to our need to work so we can spend, but they have been correlated. What would it be like in your life if you took one day a month or a week a year to do absolutely nothing but devote yourself to your spouse and children? Many religions use Sunday's as that day every week, including mine. In our house, we spend Sunday's together and make sure we do not do anything that would require someone else to be away from their family (like shopping or eating out). I definitely plan on going a step further and try to stay off the computer on Sundays. With school it'll be hard. But what's the point in working if you can't appreciate the benefits that come from it?