Back to the Grind

If you’re having trouble getting excited about your next project/shift/week at work, here’s something from Garfunkel and Oates that should either renew your sense of purpose or make you chuckle.

Words on Wednesday

Today is Wednesday.

In the work world, it’s Hump Day for those toiling Mondays through Fridays—the midweek point at which you’ve clocked 2 days of drudgery with only 2 more to go. If your workweek, like mine, often includes Saturdays and Sundays, then Wednesdays are just another day.

In the blogosphere, today is “Wordless Wednesday.” Every Wednesday, participating bloggers post a photograph and nothing more—no explanation, maybe a caption. For fashion blogs, it’s the dress to die for; for pet blogs, it’s the cute animal set-up; for family blogs, it’s the Kodak moment.

I’ve no idea how this got started. (Yes, I could research it, but does it matter that much?) I suspect someone somewhere was quite keen on alliteration. Plus the wordlessness aspect saves a lot of time and brain power—no need to ponder a great idea for a post, no writing, no frustrated rewriting. Perfect space filler: title, photo, done.

Not one to follow the herd, I’ve avoided Wordless Wednesdays on Lull. I’m certainly fond of alliteration, though, so I could call it Wordy Wednesday just to be different. But I’m reluctant to make an ongoing commitment like that.

So, for one day only, I’m serving up random words for Wednesday (really more of a pointless post) and a random bit of art for your viewing pleasure.

[Art by Paul Gauguin. If Wednesday’s got you down, or you’re in need of a little armchair travel, head over to Google’s “Art Project” and tour some of the world’s greatest museums.]

Salt and Dream Jobs

Though I'm learning more than I ever expected to know about salt from Mark Kurlansky's Salt, it's the secondary material that really interests me. For instance, he mentions Sarah Josepha Hale, who edited Godey's Lady's Book from 1837 t0 1877. Now, I know nothing about Ms. Hale except that she held a dream job for 40 years. She was 90 when she retired from the magazine. Can you imagine?

That's the life I used to fantasize about. However, after trekking the job-hunters' trail through 2009, a one-year appointment is looking pretty good now. But to want to keep going to work every day through your 70s and 80s must be some kind of wonderful.

Do you know what kind of work that would be for you? At what kind of place? With what kind of people? If so, then you've figured out the job you should have.