I don't like working. I never have. I know that we HAVE to work and I'm also fully aware that none of us really like working, but I kind of have followed the beat of my own path since ... forever. I recently read an article on Create! Magazine's site about slowing down a little. That same day, I had a really good conversation with Shawn, owner of Home Works right next door, about the same thing. Quality of life, slowing down, etc.
So the thing about me is that I've gotten fired from almost every job I've ever had. I've never done well in environments where there are a lot of rules, micromanaging, cubicles and people who don't like to randomly dance when the mood hits them. "This just isn't working out" is a phrase I've heard a lot. I had an ex ask me once "Do you have a hard time working with others? I don't understand" after I told him I was fired from, yet, another job. It's not that I don't work well with others, I just don't understand why I have to do things that make zero sense. My thing is ... is anyone going to die if this doesn't get done right away? No? Then calm down. I think I actually said that to a manager at one point and guess what? I got fired.
I've left 2 jobs I think. One was at Whole Foods. I was about 23 and working full time at the Acura dealer in Montgomeryville PA and part time at Whole Foods right up the street. One Sunday I got to work at Whole Foods and just decided I didn't like it there anymore and wanted to go home.
"Hey Carol. I'm not feeling it here, so I'm just going to head home."
"O. Ok. Are you coming in on Tuesday?"
"Nah. I don't really like working here and I'm just not going to come back"
Pretty sure Carol didn't like that answer but what else could I say? It's basically the equivalent of "this just isn't working out".
I think that's why I gravitated towards the restaurant industry for most of my life. The rules are looser, most of us are artists not sure what the hell we're doing in life and the sarcasm of a restaurant staff is some of the best comedy you'll ever come across.
But back to the QUALITY of things. I think as you get older (I'm 49) you start to cut out the bullshit. The people, places and things you used to surround yourself with become less and less. The word "No." becomes a top response in your everyday life. And I don't mean a NO with a long explanation as to why ... I mean NO PERIOD. You're not a child and I don't need to explain to you why the answer is no. It's just no and if you don' t like, that's totally fine. I really don't care. I'm basically saying no because it's a boundary I've created.
Quality of life comes with boundaries.
One of my boundaries is that I'm not going to overwork myself. I guess it's always been one, but now I'm comfortable with saying it out loud. Our society has a habit of putting people on a pedestal for working a lot. Working overtime and weekends ... get the all the way out of here with that. I've never worked overtime at any job. I think I'd laugh at them on the inside when my manager would have the nerve to even ask me. "No, I have plans" ... to sit on my couch, watch tv and not work like a slave for your company.
We're not here to work all the time. Did you know that? We're here to make human connections and create meaningful experiences with one another. Remember Covid? When everything shut down and the world didn't come to an end because we weren't working? Yeah ... that part.
The time I spent in my apartment during Covid taught me that we are able to slow down, work less and relax more. Remember all of the little mental health walks we were going on? Do you still take them? Probably not. Why? Because you're working.
Do me a favor: this week at work ... randomly leave ... don't tell anyone where you're going ... and go take a 10 minute walk. Just do it. The email can wait, no one in the meeting will die and trust me ... everything will be ok when you return.
Ok so I don't know where the direction of this blog post is going. It's Sunday and I woke up this morning with a very strange urge to write. It's about 9am and I'm sitting at the gallery watching the neighborhood slowly wake up, grab coffee, walk their dogs and enjoy the quality of life. If anything, I hope after reading this you make a point to work less and enjoy life more.
Vacations are a need not a want. Remember that. A wise man by the name of DJ Jazzy Jeff once said "Experiences Over Things"
2022 trip to Belize
The gallery's hours are Wednesday - Saturday from 12-5pm and I sometimes get the "well I work and you're not open at night". Not to worry. I live really close by and if you email me at nonamegalleryphilly@gmail.com , I will always come over to let you cruise around the gallery.
And remember ... LESS WORK MORE ... EVERYTHING ELSE!
Thanks for reading
Jonene
xoxo
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