Rabbit, Rabbit on this Labor Day: May you be productive but balanced

Rabbit, rabbit. Ok. Had to get that out of the way.  Ever since boarding school I have said “rabbit, rabbit” every morning the first day of the month.  I didn’t really dig into the folklore surrounding that. I just knew it was about fertility and being plentiful.  I always manage to conjure up the image of rabbits twitching their noses which in turn reminds me of the television show Bewitched.  You know, the old television show where a witch tried to lead  normal life but every once in a while she twitches her nose to make some magic happen (which eventually leads to hijinks and hilarity). I did tell you all a while ago that I am a messy mind and random writer, right?  Anyway, a rabbit twitching and digging up dirt, working his way around a field.  That’s what I think of every morning on the first of a month. And, today just happens to be labor day. It all goes perfectly together, folks. I am not so random after all.

I look at the rabbits milling about in my backyard and I wonder what they do all day.  I have wondered what I would do if I won the lottery to only realize that I would keep working. Sigh. I have wondered what is the job I would absolutely never do. As someone who grew up with a strong work ethic who cannot fathom leaving the workforce even if I won the lottery, I can’t imagine many jobs I would absolutely never do. I mean, a girl has to have money to eat and buy shoes after all. For a split second I thought about mining. I think that would be an absolutely frightening job for someone who loves the sun immeasurably and who may be a bit claustrophobic. However, at the end of the day the work is needed and some in areas that is the best job there is. Every job should be dignified and seen with dignity.  We toil and sweat and sometimes do things for work that many in the workplace do not appreciate.  You want a “sucky” job trying being an executive that has 100 things to do at the same time (including making sure that payroll happens despite tragedies and decreasing funds) and yet employees feel that executives do not suffer from burnout or that every move they make is wrong. Ah, I won’t cry over spilled milk. Is that even the right saying? Anyway, random, remember?  Yes, despite my love of the sunlight I would do mining.

One thing to consider on this Labor Day is how demands for productivity keep increasing due to dwindling resources. Every day a new study or new “insightful” article is posted on Forbes or other business-savvy websites that provide tips on increasing employee productivity. Just this morning there was an article about how plants in the workplace increase productivity. Hmm. Well, in my case and that of many others that would not necessarily be so. Plants would just make my throat and eyes itch and send me into a Benadryl haze.  This is why I always ask to people not to send me flowers unless it is in a cocktail.  Back to productivity. On Forbes there was an article that gave “grand” productivity tips such as avoiding useless meetings. Really? Have you been part of the modern workplace lately?  We have become a world that cannot live without meetings. We have meetings about meetings about meetings. It would be nice to cut back on useless meetings. However, when you do then people say you are neglecting them or not providing space to process information or are not being transparent or….

Enough on that rant. Go ahead. Enjoy Labor Day.  Enjoy the first of the month. Rabbit, rabbit.  May you be productive, but balanced.

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