Work rant

It seems the thing I want to write about is work and life balance. I worked full time for years to maintain my benefits. It was the only option we had with the county. On Friday we went to the birthday party for my friend Lisa who is a counselor with severely disturbed kids. (Our garden made her the marigold garland that decorates her table.) She is now doing the job that used to be done by three people. She can’t sleep at night. She loves her work and is just extraordinary at it but she’s underpaid, undervalued and driving herself, I feel, into illness, not in a neurotic way, but just because there aren’t enough hours in the week to work full time, commute like she does, and maintain a family and a home. It’s really crazy. I’m doing almost full time and both my jobs are low pressure and yet I’m feeling bad that I don’t have my winter garden in, am missing yoga and meditation and can’t volunteer where I am needed. I do love the stimulation and collegiality of working…I just want better balance, for me, and all the working people of this country. The 40 hour work week just keeps people from being healthy and their family or personal lives from having the kind of nurture and attention that is needed for true sustainability. When you retire it’s usually like you are jumping off with the sense of saving your life.. It doesn’t have to be like that. It’s obvious to me that the present system does not work for the people but we are enslaved to it.
So, here are some good signs. The GRUB people have their winter cruciforms in while Bruce is still harvesting peaches. I got to do a guided meditation for members of the Chico Peace and Justice Center Board. And, tonight, many of us, supporters of the NO on 8 campaign (supporting the right of people to marry who they love,) were treated to a wonderful dinner of middle eastern food prepared by Ali Sasour, Palestinian Unitarian Muslim cook extraordinaire and City Council candidate of our hearts.