Sacred cows are ideas or traditions in our culture that are above criticism. Their holiness is a forgone conclusion and cannot not be questioned.
One of the sacred cows in our culture that must be worshipped is ‘hard work’. We are constantly told that you must work hard in order to be successful. The idea makes obvious sense that it is absurd to question it.
But today we will attempt to defile the sacred cow.
Of course, some people say that we should work smart. Which means that we should work a little less harder. Working smart therefore is neither here nor there. It’s just a phrase we use to sound clever.
Now, by definition work implies an exertion of effort to get a certain outcome. In physics, Work = Force x Distance. It means that energy, sweat, blood and tears is expended against some resistance when we work. We say no pain no gain, meaning that the more pain you experience the more the gains.
On the other hand, Play is the opposite of work. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. This implies that work and play are mutually exclusive. That you can’t play while working or can’t work while playing. “Usilete mchezo kwa kazi”. Work is serious, like a heart attack.
Essentially, work is a painful and necessary evil that we must endure throughout life. While play is the enjoyable and temporary relief from work. That is why we get excited when a long weekend has been announced by the government.
Basically, we spend most of our lives working and only a small fraction of our lives playing.
But wait a minute,
When the poet is writing a poem and reciting it to an audience, is she working hard or playing? When the painter is sketching on the canvas, is he working hard or playing?
Does it feel like work when playing?
If the artists enjoy doing their work, what about the rest of us?
Is it possible to play while we are working?
Is it possible for the teacher to have fun while explaining concepts?
Can the software developer smile as he develops code in the middle of the night?
Can the office clerk enjoy arranging files?
Is it possible for the CEO to have a good time running the company?
Can the pastor have fun while preaching about hell and the apocalypse?
Hell, is it possible for the mortician to enjoy cutting up corpses?
Life is life
Fabio