Lessons of Housework and Oprah

This morning I got out of bed and immediately began to clean. Putting away dishes, washing countertops, sweeping the floor, emptying the garbage, sorting the old mail and returning all objects to their appropriate homes. What a relief it was to see my house back in order and in this state of order I realized just how much I love the place. I realized how lucky I am to be living in a little piece of heaven on a quarter acre of this planet. I don't want to lose this place. And there comes my dilemma.

I have a decent career and in that career make a decent living. Enough of a living to be able to reasonably afford my current lifestyle. I can't help thinking, though, that I might be better able to utilize my gifts (whatever they may be) in some other line of work. I have romantic visions of quitting my job to work a low-key job in a shop or cafe, someplace where people move in and out and interaction with the outside world comes in a steady stream.

This afternoon I sat down to watch yesterday's Oprah. She had on Morgan Spurlock of "Supersize Me" fame. The discussion was on minimum wage and the working poor. Millions of people work two or three jobs at minimum wage and still cannot manage to make ends meet. Watching this show, I feel very foolish. My romantic visions of a stress-free, yet fulfilling job are doused with the very realistic vision of the poverty that would accompany such a career change. The anxiety of my current job would be replaced with a more pressing stress of feeding and clothing myself. In watching this show, I felt this: What right do I have to be selfishly poor? What right do I have to place a tax on society? I have every opportunity, every leg up, every comfort, every reason to succeed. What right do I have to work minimum wage? I know that sounds crazy, but trust me, it's not. I once watched a man with a college degree, a master's degree actually, with an easy career to achieve, spiral into poverty. He couldn't pay for electricity. Couldn't pay for phone. Couldn't pay child support. Couldn't afford to fix his car. Couldn't afford rent. He received food from free stores. He wasn't helpless. He wasn't even lazy. He was just selfish. Every person spotlighted on Oprah today would give their collective right arm to be in my position. What right do I have to jeopardize that sought after position?

I have a right to do whatever I want to with my life, but not without a well-formed purpose. So, until I form my purpose, I'm staying put. And where I'm at ain't too shabby.