Work takes many forms

Labor Day is a day of celebration of the contributions of American workers. It is also a day off for many workers. It makes me think of the many places in which we work – in fields, in offices, factories, airports, warehouses, stores, hospitals, planes, trains, and so many other places. When I worked in the hospital I was aware of the fact that nurses were required to give care for patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We did not close at 5 PM on a Friday.

As an entrepreneur and business owner, my work takes place in lots of settings: office, home, airplanes and airports, hotel rooms, conference rooms. It rarely stops at 5 PM. Both my husband and I are self-employed. My husband owned a welding shop in Trenton, NJ for 5 years. One of my young son’s friend’s father said to me, “Your husband owns his own business. That means he sets his own hours.” I replied, “Yes, let me tell you about it. He works 7 days a week 10 hours a day and there is no one there to tell him to go home.” For us, business ownership does not fit within a 40 hour week. Yet, it is fulfilling and I would not trade it for a job.

• It is exciting to identify an issue and be able to put in place systems to fix it without having to go through committees and months of approval.
• It is exciting to see a new service that can be offered and to have a plan in place to do so within a few days.
• It is exciting to see a team of people work well together and enjoy each others’ company.
• It is exciting to live in a country that was built on entrepreneurship, small business vision and opportunities.

I appreciate all of the people who have jobs that result in products and services that keep us thriving. Hats off to workers!