Jobs

The comic Chris Rock does a brilliantly funny routine about jobs versus careers. Chris says, " When you've got a job there's too much time. When you have a career you don't have enough time." "People who have careers need to learn to shut the f**k up around people who have jobs. Don't let your career make someone else sad!" I love his whole routine about the differences between the two.

It did make me think though. My whole life has been spent doing jobs. When I was younger  I had an idea of what I wanted to do for a career. But that, unfortunately, never panned out. And I have had jobs that, like Chris says, made me shout, "I HATE THIS F**KING JOB...I HATE IT!"

So what differentiates a job from a career? The definition I hear most folks use is this: "I can't believe how lucky I am to get paid to do this! I'd do it (what-ever it is) for free!" This is always said by someone who has a career. You know who I mean; actors, musicians, writers, etc. I have never heard someone who has a job say this. By job I mean; street sweepers, meat packers, factory workers, et al.

But not everyone has the same idea of what defines a job or a career. I personally think the main difference between the two deals with passion. Most people work jobs that they loathe, just so they have the money to (besides taking care of their basic needs) indulge their passions. At the risk of sounding like a school ma-arm I will go ahead a call these passions hobbies.

Most people have hobbies. Whether they collect stamps, train-spot, or bird watch these folks all share a common feeling. A passion for their hobby. Most of us have to live our lives working jobs that enable us to indulge our passions. A select few have indeed been lucky enough to get paid to indulge theirs.

So while it is irritating to not have the privilege of getting paid for our passions, we can at least take comfort in knowing that a lot of folks share our fate. And like the old saying goes, "Misery loves company."