Working For A Living

Work:  (thermodynamics) A nonthermal First Law energy in transit between one form or repository and another. Also, a means of accomplishing such transit.

OK, OK, just kidding.

Work:  Effort expended on a particular task.

In The Fellowship you have to do some work.  We'll give you all the help that you want but you have to do some work.  We'll listen to you bitch for a while then we'll quit listening if you aren't doing the work.  You don't get to throw in the towel.  We know that it's difficult at the start and then periodically from time to time thereafter, right up to the point when you die, which is no picnic, either.  We're sorry to have to say that but facts is facts, son.

I saw this with my family.  They aren't moving much past the "This is hard" part of the transition.  I did my best to be of service, to be patient, but I tired of it after 10 days or so. The last full day there I thought if I heard one more bitch about something I was going to throw a television out the window.

Here's the thing: my sister and I just bought that television for my parents.  We split it except my sister hasn't sent me her half of the money.  She has mentioned the fact that she hasn't sent the money - even suggesting that since you owes me the money that I could use it to pay for a cab to the airport so she wouldn't have to - you know - take me to the airport - but she still hasn't sent the money.  This suggestion was proffered on my last day so I was tempted to say something along the lines of: "Hey, why don't you give me my %$!! money and THEN drive me to the %$!! airport?"  

It was closer than it should have been.