Work and Fun Are Not Synonymous

Every once in a while, the New York Times gets it "right." That is, it puts out an opinion piece or a story that makes me smile or triggers something (that indescribable feeling of "getting it") in my brain. This is one of them:

Who Goes to Work to Have Fun?

These kinds of op-eds often inspire me to leave a comment... and so I did:

My first reaction to this article evoked memories of my ex-wife, she who was constantly unhappy and looking for me to "make me happy." I do not believe you can make people be happy, it comes from within or it doesn't happen.

My second reaction was to think about my own career and the places I worked. I actually enjoyed my job, looked forward to doing it, I consider myself lucky to have found it because it suited me. There were times we went through these management fads where management would try to improve morale; all failed, all went by the wayside over time and all seemed to cause adverse reactions which took time to recover from. At those times, I often thought of my ex-wife wanting me to make her happy.

One other thing: During my career with "Ma Bell", I worked in many offices in many locations around the country. There were times that the only thing I enjoyed was my work, either the office was not quite right or the area wasn't what I liked. Other times, it all clicked. A lot depends on the individual, I suspect, and his/her attitude.