Work: For Money and ?
It’s an age old question that I can’t help but find interesting. The most obvious reason most of us work is to earn the money necessary to support the lifestyle we’ve chosen. But wouldn’t you agree that there are other factors driving people to perform at work? For me, there are a number of motivators above and beyond the financial incentive. I work for the pleasure of interacting; I work for the challenge – and satisfaction of creating solutions; I work as a way to fulfil my appetite for new experiences and for meeting new people; I work to be a strong contributor to a group outcome.
I love all of this and more about my work – so, how about you? Aside from financial reasons, why do you work?
Pay for Play
It’s the 1st of December – and the first snowfall has come and gone in Vancouver; gone are those big fat flakes that had the streets and sidewalks and everything else covered in the white stuff. For a select few, the snow translated into dollars as they feverishly worked to remove it. It reminded me of my early days in BC’s Interior, where I was one of those few; when my father introduced the magic of “pay for play.”
I was 12 when my father bought a used tractor. He taught me how to landscape in the summer and plow snow in the winter. I couldn’t believe that I was getting paid to do what any boy would love to do – drive a tractor and move dirt and snow around.
My dad would let me use the tractor whenever I liked; provided I bought the gas, and did the necessary plowing and landscaping on our small acreage. In no time I had clients all over town. I worked hard, but loved what I did –it felt like I was being paid to push snow in the winter, plow dirt in the summer, and get muddy in the in-between-seasons.
One time, when I was 14 or so, I remember asking my Dad what to do if the police pulled me over while driving the tractor across town, or to the next job. He said, “first of all, wear a hat and sit up tall. If that doesn’t work, you know my phone number. I want to meet the guy that pulls a hard-working kid over between jobs.”
That was the late 60’s and times were different then. I was lucky to have those opportunities as a teen in those years. So now, like my father, and I’m sure my father’s father before him, I’ll be interested in seeing how my children’s privileges and challenges shape their future.
The above picture was taken the day before my dad’s 90th birthday. He is blessed with wonderful health. Amongst other things he is a self-taught mechanic and welder, and those skills have helped him keep the1951/52 vintage tractor that I reference above in excellent shape, rebuilding various components from the transmission and hydraulic system to the carburetor. He continues to be very adept at using it year-around for a variety of tasks including – you guessed it, snow-removal.