The Jews were right...

It's true. Although I am convinced myself that the world is slowly getting better (optimistic, yes) there are still a plethora of things wrong with the way the world ticks. To me at least, much of it comes from business. Work to be specific. There is too much of it about.

Now, I'm not saying that work isn't a good thing. We need to do it. Commerce itself isn't flawed, it never has been. What the hell else would we do with our time if we didn't work? The world has been built upon the labors of generations, and doesn't it all look nice? Indeed it does. Every great accomplishment in this world began and begins as a process of work. Sometimes people get paid or pay for work, some work you do just because you want to and some work only happens because it needs to. This is all well and fine.

But I think that many people believe that work is the be all and end all of existence. I would hope that people who are of this mind are doing something that they really love, but I know this just isn't the case. Shame, really. 'Is it worth the aggravation to find yourself a job when there's nothing worth working for?' a great protest singer once asked. Unfortunately we don't have a choice. Money makes this rock spin.

But, I think there has got to be some kind of slowing down of work.

Yes, we need to have an imposed sabbath. It's time to go biblical.

EXODUS 35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a sabbath of rest: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

Now I am aware that such things may be scoffed at. Think about it for a moment. What if, say every Monday (everyone hates Monday) we close the stock market, shut down all the businesses, the restaurants, the grocery stores, TV stations, everything. Sure, there would have to be some people who would have to work, say the police and hospitals. We'll give those kind folks two days off for every day they work, give them some kind of incentive. But let us all take at least one, just one, day off every seven days.

You can do everything you want. Sure you can work, you just won't get paid for it. In fact, you will be crushed by well-sized stones thrown by your fellow idlers. Why would you even take a chance. You'd be forced to take that time off. Paint a picture, read a story to your children or eat corn chips and masturbate.

All jokes aside, I guess what I'm driving at is perhaps one day a week where we don't consume or produce. Arguments could of course be raised that it would throw the economy into some form of turmoil. Perhaps. But it would also allow us to bring back a great deal of autonomy into our lives. Maybe it could even restore some amount of community good-will. What else would there be to do than go for a walk and talk to people? I'll bet that public areas such as parks would flourish, I'd wager you'd see more flowers planted and maybe people will start to feel (gasp) happy...

I am fully aware of such things as the 'weekend'- Saturday and Sunday. To most people I know, the weekend is either an extension of the stresses of the work week or two days of doing less than relaxing shit. Let's reclaim the right of sabbath. A true day off from everything that has wound us up tighter than a coo-coo clock.

Or if this dream of mine never gets realized and governments all around the world don't wish to enforce this mandatory sabbath, then do it yourself. Try for the next couple of weeks when you have time off, to really do nothing. Don't buy anything, do something that makes you happy and meet some new people. At least you can guarantee that your world will get just a little bit better. Fast.