So, yesterday was Labor day, a day to celebrate what working people have done for out country. It is also the symbolic end to summer. Fiona returns to school today. Kim and I are back at work. Saturday was Kim’s birthday and the anniversary of her mother’s death to cancer. Next week is the tenth anniversary of 9-11 and there is a family reunion and a work picnic. It is a good day for reflections.

Years ago, I attended a labor event, where one of the chants was, “Our life is more than our work, and our work is more than our jobs.” It has always stuck with me. There are many things that are important to me in my life. Traditions, my curiosity, writing, helping other people, and perhaps most importantly, my family. This leads to my work. Helping other people, and caring for my family, especially when I can do it with my writing, captures important parts of my work.

My current job as a social media manager at a community health center fits nicely with this work, especially when I get a chance to use my writing to help the health center care for others. To the extent that it helps pay the rent and put food on the table, it also fits nicely with my work, but, as the old labor chant goes, my work is more than my job.

I’m not a big person for horoscopes, but my horoscope for today seems to fit nicely:

You may need to deal with disapproval today, Cancer. This will likely come from someone you see as a superior or authority figure, perhaps a parent or teacher. While it's important to listen, if what they have to say involves your personal life and how you live it, it's no one's concern but yours. No matter what you do, someone will disapprove of something!

So, I’ll continue with my writing, both at work, and my personal writing. I’ll continue nurturing my relationships online with my online writing, including writing computer programs like the ones I’ve been doing for Empire Avenue. I will continue to focus on the political aspects of my writing. Even though our political system seems horribly broken with too much polemics and too little critical thinking, if I can just get people to think a little more about what their social contracts really are, I may be able to help in little ways.

As summer comes to an end, Cheryl Wheeler’s song, “Summer’s Almost Over” comes to mind:

Summer's almost over and I'm crying but I don't know why
Sentimental old fool, weeping for this blue, blue sky
And the way the cat is sleeping and the way the garden grew
Wagging dogs who lick my face and the way I feel for you