Life's Labor, Lost

There's dignity in work. But what do we do without it?

Allegory of Industry and Idleness by Louis Laguerre, 1693 (public domain)

“Toil is man’s allotment; toil of brain, or toil of hands, or a grief that’s more than either, the grief and sin of idleness.” —Herman Melville, 1849

Do you have a job that you love?

If you do, count yourself lucky. These days, we might not have that luxury, as some people are thankful to have any job that helps them pay the bills during the pandemic.

Last week, we talked about grief and how we’re all sharing a personal yet public feeling and grappling with ways to support each other. With so many people out of work lately, it’s likely they’re mourning a job loss and struggling to make sense of things.

Good Grief

Today, we’ll look a some of the numbers related to employment, the nature of jobs in a changing environment, the dignity of work and purpose, and how we might look out for each other — as well as some information about the image above.

For members of the Ampersand Guild, we go deeper into purpose and link it to how…