The name of my website is millsworks - as in: As little as possible. I have been described by those close to me as the world’s busiest lazy man. I’m built for comfort, not for speed. I prefer being horizontal.
Mike Rowe is the host of the television series Dirty Jobs where he explores (so we don’t have to) the filthiest crappiest jobs on the planet. I’m sure he’s only just begun to scratch the surface of the myriad of human toil considered to be less than worthy for the rest of us wallowing in this declining mess once called Western Civilization.
I’ve had my share of shitty gigs. I won’t bore you with the alleged street credentials of my god awful, mind numbing and soul destroying minimum wage days. Been there, done that, don’t want to go back.
Please understand - I’m not completely adverse to hard work. I have often worked myself sick doing the very things I love so dearly. Finishing a production and ending up in hospital as a result is not a rare experience for me. I just figure if I’m gonna wear myself to the bone for something it had damn well better be something I actually care about. Finding that sort of thing these days seems to be getting harder but that’s territory for a different blog post.
I like watching Rowe’s show and I enjoy his take on the gritty realities of life around us that we choose to ignore or separate ourselves from on a daily basis. The very things that make our lives of comfort possible are based upon the backs of those who do the work the rest of us so assiduously avoid.
In this TED Talk from last December, Rowe explores his experiences and comes to some common sense conclusions about the nature of hard work and why we need to support it.
Now if you’ll excuse me - I gotta get busy with my own shit.
Cheers.
