Well, it finally happened…
After 30 or so years of waiting, I finally fulfilled a life-long desire…
“You wanted the best, and you got the best. The hottest band in the world…
KISS!!!”
See pictures below. It was smokin’!!!
I especially loved how the 40 somethings like myself made up most of the audience. Second most common group: their kids…many of whom were wearing Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley makeup.
Made me think of two high school pals, Fred and John…both tagged in this note – and going to my first concert with them in 1982: Rainbow and the Scorpions. And it made me think of Robin, from middle school…that whole time period of worshipping our rock and roll heroes.
Gene, Paul, Tommy and Eric were obviously having a ball. They must be! Gene is 60 and Paul is 57. They have more money then they and their families will ever need. They’re doing it for the glory.
In other words, their work is their play.
It was fantastic. I “rock and rolled all night and partied every day.” (wink)
And then I sat in amazement and gratitude after the show.
*** ***
And then after that, I got myself together at 6:00 am, left the hotel room and headed to a high school in rural Connecticut. I was part of a team that did an evaluation visit for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges to determine if the school would have its accreditation renewed.
I’ll give you a snapshot of it: four days of meetings, teacher interviews, pouring over documents, writing insanely detailed reports, and generally going through the entire workings of this school, from how many students used the library, to the condition of the boiler rooms.
Working straight through from 6:00 am to 10:30 or 11:00 at night. Then writing reports after that in our hotel rooms. Four days of that.
And you know what? We all loved it. It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle/mystery story we were working on. And we knew what we were doing was going to help kids, and their parents…not to mention the teachers and the entire community.
To the rest of the world it would have looked like physical and mental torture. To us, it was fun.
In other words, my work is my play.
*** ***
Many people I know divide their lives into their “work time” and their “play time.” In other words they tolerate what they do during the day so they can spend the rest of their time doing what they enjoy.
Fair enough. But I’ll throw this out there…
If you learn how to focus on the parts of what you do that are fun - that feel good, you’ll bring more of them into your experience.
And if you look forward to those parts you’ll find the other parts – the ones that weren’t so much fun start to become more tolerable. And you might even learn to enjoy those too!
And if you decide to co-create with your co-workers…find meaningful partnerships with those who are working with you, you’ll find yourself doing less of the things you don’t like and more of the parts you are doing.
And if you choose to focus on the fact that anything you’re doing has some benefit to others, that you are making a contribution in some way, you see more value in your work and more value in yourself for doing it.
OR…if you absolutely do not find anything you can hang your hat on that brings any kind of pleasure to you, then you owe it to yourself and those around you to do something else.
(and by the way, there IS value in what you’re doing. Making a good part in a factory, or sending an invoice, or making the next batch of onion rings keeps the economic engines humming)
Message: Make your work your play. Soon enough, that’ll be all you do!
Your Rockin’ Friend,
Larry
Started holiday shopping yet? Early presents, to yourself or someone else: HOW TO JUGGLE (and Change Your Life Forever), and NO MORE HOLDING BACK: Humor, Wisdom and Inspiration To Move You From Here To There. Two books I loved writing. Like I said, my work is my play!