I think we've gotten too used to things coming easy. From the microwave to Amazon Prime to Siri, we expect things to happen in the blink of an eye or the click of a button. Earlier this week, I was in Belk buying makeup, and I had to wait in line behind two other women. The only thing I thought about while I waited was that I should have just ordered it from Belk's website so I didn't have to stand in line- you know, the one that lasted all of five minutes. Ultimately, I didn't want to have to do the work. Much like a ordering a pizza, I just wanted to sit on my couch and wait for the makeup to be delivered.
But here's the thing about work- it's not all bad. It can bring people together. A year after my first date with Alex, he volunteered to help me pack up my classroom in order to move to Mid-Carolina's new building. What he didn't realize was that my classroom came with two extra rooms, one with floor to ceiling shelves of yearbooks that dated back to the 1960s. And did I mention my room didn't have air? And that we ran out of boxes? Yep, it was as much fun as it sounds, but you know what- in the middle of that sweltering room, surrounded by a bunch of musty old books, I fell in love with Alex that day. Not only was he selfless enough to come move a bunch of unbelievably heavy boxes on his day off, he didn't seem to be completely turned off by my bossiness. I knew then he was a keeper.
Some of my favorite memories revolve around hard work- moving beds and building camp fires at Cherokee, repairing roofs and floors at Salkehatchie, and decorating the Cantey Building for Holiday Market. Don't get me wrong, hard work can be frustrating, stressful, and downright exhausting. But it also brings with it a sense of accomplishment, stronger relationships, and usually a whole lot of laughs.
Jackson will often ask how a particular athlete got so good at his or her sport. Alex and I both make an conscious effort to tell him that professional athletes work really hard and practice every day. Granted, I'm sure they have a little talent too, but that isn't the part they can control, so it's not the part I emphasize.
I have always believed in the power of a good t-shirt slogan. One year, one of the sports teams at school had a shirt that said, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." That saying has always stuck with me. It reminds me of Michael Jordan's high school basketball career, of how he got cut from the JV team as a freshman. The coaches may have doubted Jordan's talent, but nobody can deny his ability to work hard. Getting cut served as his motivation to spend even more time in the gym, and in the end, all of the work was worth it.
Last week, Alex commented I seemed "mopey" about starting back to school. I think it was mainly because I am teaching three new classes, and when I started thinking about all the work that will involve, I got scared and overwhelmed.
That's when I decided to change my focus. Instead of thinking about the work I have to put in, I'm going to think about the joy I will get out. Will every day be full of accomplishments and laughs- heck no! But I have a feeling there will be enough in the long run to make the work worth it. It's kinda like when I ran the Governor's Cup Half Marathon. If I had thought about every mile I was going to have to run, especially that hill on Gervais Street, man, I never would have started. I had to stay focused on completing the race, on seeing Alex and Jackson cheering for me at the finish line, on showing off my cool new t-shirt.
Life isn't easy. Everything that is important requires work. Earning a degree, getting a job, maintaining friendships, building a marriage, raising kids . . . none of these things are just delivered to our doorstep. There are plenty of nights when I'd like to say, "Alexa, put my kids to bed," but then I realize that while relaxing on the couch sounds nice, I'd miss out on a lot of snuggles and giggles.
In the end, you just have to ask yourself if the sweaty, tiring, challenging task is worth the reward. When you find the answer is yes, you know it's time to get up off the couch and get to work.
