Labor

The sharp distinction between volunteer labor and labor for wages in our society is symptomatic of the baseline injustice in many workplaces. I believe this is a vestige of sexism in part. Women's domestic work, historically unpaid, was seen as unskilled, despite the great skills it required. This was part of the subjugation of women by men, who elevated their role as wage earners in order to rule society and have their own privileges in and out of the home.

We are moving away from patriarchy in the U.S.. With this, the sharp lines between labor for wages and other forms of valuable social labor are blurring somewhat. Unfortunately, capitalist exploiters are using this process to extract free labor from intelligent and talented people who are forced to compete with each other in a job-poor economy. Educated young people from privileged backgrounds are able to pay for internships in lucrative fields of endeavor, while equally talented and less affluent candidates are forced to apply for jobs unworthy of their abilities.

Corporations, motivated by profits, not social good, are downsizing by using technology to eliminate the need for human labor. They have left the job of retraining redundant employees to government, while knee-capping government by buying political action in Washington to gut corporate tax policy and increase corporate welfare. The response of the corporatist to the laid-off workers is "Become entrepreneurs!" This has the hollow, cynical ring of Marie Antoinette's quip about cake in lieu of bread. It can be translated as : Go exploit others as we've exploited you.

The difference between a materialist and a humanist in the work place is simple. The materialist works at whatever it takes to finance his pleasure or greed. The humanist works to earn an ethical living and to contribute to human society with the fruits of his/her labor. In a materialist society, where much of what is produced is not socially valuable or ethically based, many humanists turn to volunteer labor to satisfy their desire to improve society with their labor.

The current collapse of oil's domination and perversion of the world economy may well be a breakthrough in this paradigm. There is an opportunity for humanists to explore many more options for their talents. The green economy may well become a largely humanist labor and entrepreneurial movement. However, the powers of materialistic capitalism with fight for the greater part of the green economy or will try to sabotage its development altogether.

Organized labor in America has been lacking in the promotion green development. It has aligned itself with the oil economy. It has aligned itself with Wall Street and corrupted government. It has generally betrayed its mission to bring justice and human values to the work place.

Embracing the daily work of humanist idealism and practice in any field is always challenging, often isolating but very rewarding. By focusing on the quality of his/her labor and its value to society, the humanist inevitably shines as a valued member of any work force. While the path of the humanist may not lead to exorbitant profits, it does lead to a great wealth of personal growth and happiness.

Slater

"Grab two beers and take the chute," went the lyrics of a humorous song on public radio this morning. Yet another blurb on Stephen Slater, pop-idol-of-the-moment.

What kind of culture looks to burned-out, angry service employees as heroes? The answer is simple: A culture which has allowed its rich to exploit its poor as cheap labor in unsatisfying service jobs with poor support and conditions. Wall Street profits are made off the backs of the Stephen Slaters of the U.S.. And, the American people have yet to connect the dots, since the American media have been bought and dominated by the likes of Ruppert Murdoch.

Sadly, most Americans don't seem to zoom out from the view on their TVs or iPhones. They are caught up in the trends of a fickle news machine which avoids the big issues. Dissent gets framed in terms of harmlessly quirky Tea Party rallies, where racism and guns are often mainstays, the vacant rantings of Sarah Palin and the equally bizarre Rand Paul. Thus the true Left is ignored and devalued entirely. Why? The answer again is simple: The corporations have decided to rule by manipulating existing elements of American society and government. They are playing Devil to the materialistic American Fausts on all levels of society.

As for Stephen Slater, is his behavior itself admirable and laudable? Of course not. It is the infantile, reactive tantrum of someone ill-suited for a particular career. As a retired nurse, I empathize with his frustration and anger at the rudeness of his passengers, but I think his reaction was worthy of arrest and repercussions. He was being paid. His passengers were paying a fee for his services. Tantrums will not change the conditions which caused his meltdown. Admiring tantrums in others is an indication of social illness and an avoidance of the hard work to address the bigger issues, which are very challenging.

Packing

There is an art to moving. If there were a degree for moving, I'd have a doctorate. In the past forty years I have moved about thirty times, usually by myself, since I have lived alone for most of that time.

My house is now packed neatly into one large room here on the first floor. Fifteen medium boxes of moderate weight/density. Twelve plastic crates, smaller with more compact weight of wrapped dishes, glassware or books. Boxes are stacked for easy access, since they usually go into the truck first. Larger furniture is next. Small items are last. They are tucked securely into holes left by larger items.

More often than not, I hire movers. I have great admiration and empathy for the men and women who lug the weight of the materialism of others for relatively low pay. They represent a vanishing segment of the population of developed countries: Those who labor against gravity and friction for their living. They provide a truly valuable service.

I have known people who enjoy brutalizing paid laborers. These selfish bullies feel that they are entitled to insult the dignity of a person who has to work hard for their money. What could be more cowardly? There may come a day when those who labor at basic services, like moving, will be considered worthy of more respect. I hope that day comes soon.

All in all, while I struggle with my muscles and joints, exerting myself against the weight of my own possessions, I find moving tremendously invigorating. My heart races at the prospect of new habits, new walks, new acquaintances. Many people seek this exhilaration in travel. I learned many years ago that travel does not satisfy my need for shaking out the cobwebs as well as moving to a new neighborhood, where I will live for a year or more.

In The Dhammapada, the translated sayings of Gautama, there are repeated references to moving or movement as a method to diminish attachment and to spread the word of liberation. I must concur. My moving is motivated as much by economics as by philosophy, but the net effect is the same. Weeding out, packing up and lifting your life, box by box, requires having your feet firmly planted on the ground. Breathing deeply with the mind wide open helps a lot.

Labor

The use of the word "work" is varied. Most people associate it with the exchange of time for wage. I have always associated the word "labor" with demanding physical effort.

Labor is a part of my practice. I labor at staying physically fit. I labor at maintaining my small garden. I labor at maintaining my house. Turning labor into practice is a conscious decision to approach physical toil with acute attention and appreciation of the task as having value of its own.

This is a Zen concept as well. Zen practitioners rake gravel, sweep floors, bake bread, polish wood with meticulous attentiveness and daily repetition as part of their meditative practice. Focusing on simply being while laboring yields peace, balance, communing with the Universe.

I have found that choosing a new task, one with an inherent challenge to your skills, yields growth and a tremendous sense of liberation. This is a paradox. By becoming focused in the most material and mundane task routinely and entirely can lead to an openness to the wide Universe. This accounts for the utter bliss found in some craftsmen who master their medium (wood, paint, stone) and continue to strive routinely to achieve a great sense of perfection. The liberation they experience is found in the absolute dedication to the labor.

We are currently in a dark time. Physical labor is currently seen negatively by a vast segment of the population in wealthy societies. Even those with poor education or intellectual capacity look down on physical labor as an inferior occupation. Should we wonder why the infrastructure of these wealthy societies is threatened by increasing use and inadequate maintenance? Should we wonder why obesity is epidemic in these societies?

Practice itself is difficult. Incorporating physical labor into practice adds a great deal to it. For some, physical labor may be the path to practice and human evolution.

Laborers

Like my spiritual ancestor, Walt Whitman, I h0nor those who carry and build and sweep and dig and sew and reap. Hard physical labor brings the body and mind together to focus on the battle with gravity and inertia, two humbling and unrelenting universal phenomena. Hard labor brings the understanding of one's place on the planet and of the planet's environmental forces.

Combined with education and meditation, hard labor is a clear path to enlightenment. Build something. Plant a garden. Paint your house.