My takeaway is more like this – you have to work harder when you are independent, not less hard. If you are lazy, you won’t make it. You have to work to make money and you will see the direct impact of your own effort on your income. You cannot hide behind your salary, flake out and still get paid too. There is no holiday pay and no sick leave (I work frequently on holidays and I still work when I am sick as there is no co-worker to cover for me) – and you have to foot the medical bills yourself – not through government handouts – not sure where that line of thinking stems from here. We are in a ‘pay for it or don’t get it’ situation here in the U.S. I pay for my own insurance – high prices, high deductibles, higher premiums each year.

There are really no excuses for working for unethical parties and making them richer – or buying from those businesses – even if it seems ‘normal.’ If you don’t want a world of Walmarts ( and prey-tell why would you?) – don’t shop and there and – guess what – don’t work there either – get creative – it is not ever your ‘only’ option. I’d much rather deal with an ethical person, friend, or colleague than with a corporate sell out.

The point is to slow down and think about what we are doing and the ramifications (economically, environmentally), not whether we are a lazy bum for not ‘having a job’ or whether we seem ‘cheap.’

If you ever get in touch with him, encourage him to swing by and comment on this post!

So, I am a fan. However, I am older now, an unemployed again. I would like an update on what Long would suggest for someone in my circumstances. I would also like to know if, through experience, he has fine-tuned, or modified any of his observations. I would love to have an email address for him, or find where he is. Any suggestions?

Regarding ‘lazy’ – I think another version of lazy is people who work hard at things they like to do while neglecting other tasks they don’t like. I’m very guilty of this at times. I’m a pretty ‘hard worker’ when it comes to writing posts for this blog because I am very interested in doing that but when it comes to changing the cat litter etc…I’m pretty lazy! To be honest it sounds like this guy is the same way.

Mike

I was at a birthday party for a 1 yr old a couple of weeks ago – the group of babies played more as much with the wrapping paper and empty boxes as they did with the deluge of cheap plastic toys (imported from China, possibly assembed by other children..).

I don’t mean to be a downer – people should follow their passions and do what makes them feel truly alive, if that attracts a salary, great! – but parts of our culture have gone amok with affluenza.. I for one continue to earn a professional salary, but I’m trying to live as frually as possible (which is not a deprivation, but is joyful) so that in three years or so I can do all sorts of things and not have to worry about whether I get paid to do them.