My co-worker who is like my brother got sick yesterday. He is from Iran, and he is the kind of person who has two jobs. He starts in one job from 6:30 am til noon. Then he comes where i work and he works til around 8 or 9 pm everyday. Sometimes even on sundays.
I always tell him u gotta slow down a bit, u r gonna get sick. He always tells me, but I have to provide for my family which is a valid claim. But he is killing himself. I ask him what would happen when you get really sick and can't even make the 40 hours a week. who is going to provide for ur family then.
My brother from another mother is servant of hs job.
Then i wonder what is that we are doing?
do we work to live or we live to work?

Just a thought!!!!

wow, dude!!! A little of both i think at times i feel I am working to make it by..but alot of the times i just go to work to make it by...

I work two jobs and so does my 17 year old daughter. We do this because we like to eat food and live in a house; and our cars require gasoline.

We are not ready to give any of those things up yet.

interesting. then it would not be servant of work, but servant of things.
i also eat if not i'd die. i also live in a house, if not i'd be homeless. i also have a car, if not i could not go to work, yet i work no more than 50 hours a week in only one job.

That's great. I am happy for you. I wish I could earn enough at my main job to pay for the mortgage and groceries, utilities, gas in the car, telephone, etc.

I have tried for years and I just can't.

So we do what we do to get by.

I work one job - 70 hours a week add 20 more hours of commute - its what you do to make a decent living and for some sense of security.

(((((Nora)))))

I work to pay my bills but I adore my job. I'd do it for less if I could survive...

I live with another carpenter & a CNA, we get by ok. But thats three full time incomes. Used to do it as a kid, now just kill myself for scraps.

what i'm wondering is what we call a decent living?
what is our standard of living?
are we trying to live like donald trump with 6.15 an hour?
if that is our standard of living well then it's ok to work two or three jobs.
but if we know what our needs are, then why to kill the body, if we don't even have the time to enjoy all those things we work so hard for.

I only work to have food and drink, but my kid suffers so now I must earn more to save him.

Donald Trump doesn't have to decide whether to pay his phone bill or put gas in his car. I do. That is why I work two jobs. Ivana, I'm not.

BTW, I'm just posting a friendly question. Not trying to criticize anybody.
it's not my life, i'm just trying to get some ideas to understand my brother from another mother.

Believe me LW, I hate it. We aren't working for fancy stuff. I don't care about a high falutin lifestyle. I had a few bad years and now I am trying to hang on to my house.

"The government says that to have value as a human you must make this much" Noone disagress, so it continues

where does the government say anything like that?

I understand u my friend. It's a harsh life.

ever been to a divorce hearing, or child custody. It comes down to money, been to many.

Taxes, welfare, all is judged on income, open your eyes once in a while. Scarry but you learn things

I live to work. I like my job at the Census (senseless) bureau. I've liked just about every job I ever had. Didn't like some of the coworkers and bosses, but it was mostly a matter of my attitude problems there. I also live to work for the Lord. The Purpose Filled Life taught me that: purposes of life are worship, discipleship, fellowship, ministry to believers and mission (service) to unbelievers. It all kind of fits together kind of neatly.

So, I live to work. And I work to live, too. The money comes in handy for paying bills and such, for the most part.

btw, I think this was a great question, lonelywalker. Cool beans!

how else would you make determinations regarding taxes or welfare? It kinda has to be money.

Possibly he has fears. When my grandfather passed away we were astounded to see his upstairs (that was never used) filled with many unopened necessities. His father has passed away early in life and so he worked in Holland to send money for his family in Scotland. I received the most wonderful letter from his sister, when seeking family history. She talked in her letter of how he had worked so hard and survived on so little to send money home to his mother and siblings. He became in her words a "father figure."

With that said, I've also seen some put their work above their family. The priorities seem mixed. I have a concern with one of my sons, with that. It may just be the age and the taste of money. I'm sure hoping.