Blog 2989 – 01.05.2024

Big Rock Candy Mountain

As I listened to today’s song again this morning before putting a link to it here, I was struck by the line, “Where they hung the jerk who invented work in the big rock candy mountain.” Philosopher Karl Marx in his Communist Manifesto wrote that religion is the opiate of the people if that is true in any sense it is also true that work is their distraction. The Protestant work ethic is that working hard will make all your dreams come true. Working hard more often will make you too tired and sore to sleep at night and when you do sleep and dream you will wake up tired from having worked through the night in your dreams.

One of the supposed inalienable rights guaranteed in the founding documents of this country is “the pursuit of happiness.” Over a hundred years ago labor unions lobbied and struck against rich and powerful business owners and corporations to get a forty hour work week and fair wages so that worker would be able to support their families and have a little leisure time to pursue happiness.

All work and no play not only makes Jack and Jill dull but not much fun. Remember fun? Yesterday I talked my lovely and loving wife into a drive to Galveston to see the beach and have seafood. We had a lovely time and she thanked me for “taking her out.” My wife is very much her daddy’s daughter. We still have a toy tractor that we gave our son when he was a boy. It has a button on the hood that when pushed says, “Let’s get to work.” It reminds us of Dad Stokes with a forty acre farm and farm equipment repair business he kept is wife and eight children working all the time. Dad was a hard worker and seldom took time to even fish in his well stocked pond on the farm.

The happiest I ever saw him was on a rare outing to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, playing in the surf with his grandchildren. Some years ago dad had to quit work because dementia overtook him. Many people work hard postponing the pursuit of happiness till retirement. Many never live to retirement and quite of few who do have health issues that limit their pursuit of happiness.

The famous Latin quote “Carpe Diem” (Seize the day) is really the shortened version of a longer quote that translates, “Seize the day for you cannot trust tomorrow.” Today is all we have. Take time to pursue a little happiness everyday for tomorrow is promised to no one.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17HJA72fC3ACQ5iTbiHvkYW81mZbb3iEf/view?usp=drivesdk

Big Rock Candy Mountain