Death and Commerce

[LongDarkBlues]

I just felt like posting this somewhere...

I work at a place that makes custom posters for weddings and births and such - it's a great job, but the product we make is pretty goofy and unnecessary. We sell a lot of them, though.

We just heard today that our regular FedEx driver who came by every day at 5 was killed in an accident driving his truck back to the drop-off station. I didn't have a whole lot of interaction with him, just run-of-the-mill niceties, but I find this particlarly affecting.

I hate that he died transporting, among other things, 26 of the basically-glorified-greeting cards that we make - if a man's going to die in such a way, I'd wish for it to be for something more worthwhile - not moving a load of stupid, temporal packages.

Realistically, he didn't think of it that way - I imagine that he just thought of it as his job - to put food on the table for his family. And I, of course, make my living creating these things - it's just this awful cycle of consumerism - I'd rather we were all farmers growing enough food to eat and playing the banjo on the porch in the evening. I hate that a man is dead because I have to do this job to pay the rent and he had to pay his rent, and the end result is just that some yuppies get a stupid poster.

[Sandusky]

Sad to hear this. Very tragic. Your post really made me think. Nicely put, deep stuff.

[frankieLee]

That is very sad. Remember, though, a lot of people used to die on farms too, a fairly dangerous place.

But I get your point about how so many jobs seem pretty pointless. Everyone working hard to make a bunch of widgets so they can make the money to buy other widgets so those people can buy other, etc, etc.

I just always think to myself that work is NOT my life. It's just something I do so I can continue to live my life. My family, friends, music, learning, recreation, fun, now THAT's my life. I figure any work, as long as it's not illegal or immoral, is noble work.