Work will be Work, Play might remain Play

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” ~ Confucius (551-479 BC)

Circa, 500 BC

Sire, I agree civilization has prospered and we have graduated from hunters-gatherers to cultivators-warriors, also I agree few by-product businesses like carpenter, potter, blacksmith, shepherd etc have mushroomed, yet in truth job market is still rudimentary and career opportunities too painfully limited, to entertain ideas as elusive as yours. Not to mention deep rooted social stratification holding preconceived notions of class-caste based hierarchical roles and statuses, offering little social mobility. I mean, I am poor farmer, why on earth would I not love to be, let say, a king?? But you tell me Sire, Is there a way?? No. It’s all hereditary inheritance Sire, and all this choose-life-stuff you propagate is nothing but fraudulent talk, having no reality base.

Even if I could choose things I love, I doubt its eternity. You know my love for my wife peaked the day we got married, and since then our relationship equation has only traced a descending hill. Similarly, would not what I will love to do for a living, I will end up loving it a little bit lesser, everyday. No Sire, I am not being dramatic?? Sire, as a child accompanying my father to fields was all fun. No compulsion, just free will. I loved the human-nature interaction, and it made me feel little wiser everyday. But by pre-adulthood when it became essential, it changed the way I interacted with my “lovable” work. It was less fun and more about survival instinct. It became an existential quest and started to own me, and pretty soon the love part died a young death.

Sire like yours, I have heard of some respectful jobs demanding little physical efforts like philosophers, political thinkers, mathematicians, architect and painters yet no one told me who teaches all that. But Sire I believe that fella must be a desperate teacher he often teaches everything to each and every few of those who in divine providence find him. Thus we have either ignorant majority working their arse off to meet ends or the limited editions of polymaths who are into the pleasant routine of thinking.

But Sire, please don’t mind my asking that, but is it not that this thinking job, seemingly howsoever pleasant is monotonous and at times equally demanding as well. Isn't it true that you abandoned your wife and child for your ideological pursuit?? Must be very hard.. no?? I mean now even I can fancy abandoning my wife… but my child !! No Sire, never. It would be too selfish and cruel of me to do so. Please don’t think I am accusing you. How can I!! We are but men of different caliber  But still Sire your choices are extreme, isn't it so that life takes a middle path??   
 
Sire, I guess you talk all this deception only to sound awesome and learned. Or else, you might do believe in the futile wisdom of what you say. In both cases we are too different as if two men from entirely different times. I, and people like me, are never going to understand the utility of your pompous words. To me it is a hurtful lie to fall for. And If I do I will only end up feeling like something is inherently wrong with me, when in reality this entire idea you are trying to sell is basically corrupt. Generations to come, can quote and fancy you, but sorry Sire I am not interested in buying your product.

P.S. : New in job-market and exposed to HR cliché so often, each aiming to program us folks into accepting them without doubt, hence tried being cynical to defend my inability to follow them.

I feel, he reasons

“Incomprehensible it may be yet it is relieving” I doubted, “With all the potential to be a nightmare” concluded the Chief. My fantasies need his sanction but a reluctant soul he is, too controlled. He overly shams perfection, never lets doubts grow; too cautious, too afraid; ephemeral they are “The exit will be followed by emptiness alone” he prophesized, attempting to kill it infant. My imagination has always inclined away from normalcy and the Chief is humanly numb, …Tch none makes sense. Silence was unwelcome  I whistled with faint smile. “Is thinking so tough or your senses have sublimed?” I feel, he reasons, we are at loggerheads.

I have to follow Chief, I owe him much. Seldom has I like listening him, he instructs me much. Not that Chief is always right, though I keep my grudges hushed, not once did I revolt, he already intimidates me enough. Tight air of silence prevailed. Suffocated, I fought all the inertia, and opened the window; the Chief objected that too “Strangers might peep in”. No arguments. I have to believe in Chief, I hardly trust others. None can even closely match Chief. He says he knows all. The Chief is wisdom. I feel, he reasons, we are at loggerheads.

At times, in Chief’s absence, I do peep out of that window. And I often see cheerful strangers, unlike him. But having known Chief so long most of these cheerful people seem shallow, or at best not concerned about depths. I mean no dishonour to those shallow cheerful strangers, and I might well be biased as Chief is my only window to world. Chief might be a sad fellow, but he is constant in his purpose. If he so wishes Chief can be most of them, but most of them can’t be chief. The Chief is purposeful. I feel, he reasons, we are at loggerheads.

Not that the Chief was always like this. Once he too was carefree and romanced life. In fact he was more human than one should have been allowed to. Something happened then, he will kill me If I tell you what, he already intimidates me enough. He claims he is content now, I doubt though, as he overly shams. He has grown too realistic since, conveniently deadened from his past. He mostly talks of future, of sacrifices and will power. I try to show him the present, but for chief it’s a thing of past. He says he has gone through all. The Chief is experienced. I feel, he reasons, we are at loggerheads.   

Though I keep my grudges hushed, not once did I revolt, but the chief sense it, the chief knows it all. He never mentioned openly but he gives subtle hints that our partnership has a destination at which it culminates. I care least about destination except that 'when will it arrive?'. I need not care. Chief has everything planned, and though he is a sad fellow the Chief is wisdom. I just hope after dropping me there the Chief learns to relax. However he may sham, I know, deep inside he is still alive. The Chief is pretension. The Chief is mentor. I feel, he reasons, we are at loggerheads, till one day, and then we will be on same side.