The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

I have discovered one of life’s best kept secrets. When it hit me like a ton of bricks, I felt the need to share it with you. My discovery? If you really, really enjoy what you are working at, don’t let it show. In fact, act like you don’t like it at all. Let me explain.

Work, you see, is supposed to be, well ... you know ... work. Drudgery, boring and awful should describe work. If you are having fun, it must not be work. If you seem to be enjoying yourself, you have to be goofing off. Nobody is supposed to be happy when working.

Tom Sawyer probably is the one we should blame. If you will remember, he pretended it was fun to whitewash a fence in order to trick other kids into helping. If it is fun, it can’t be work. As a result of Tom’s deceitfulness, we all grew up thinking work was not supposed to be something you enjoy.

My enlightenment occurred one day when I informed my wife I was going outside to sort some cow/calf pairs from those cows that had not yet calved. Any of you who have ever tried to get a cranky, overly protective mama cow and her wobbly, totally un-attentive baby to go anywhere you want them to will know this cannot be fun. Sue has been around cattle enough to know this but, here’s where I went wrong.

Outside, it was one of those rare, sunny, 50 degree February days. It would be great weather to “work” in. Unfortunately, this made the “job” suspicious. Even worse I was going to do it horseback. No consideration was given to the fact that saddling up a fat gelding who hadn’t been ridden since last November would not be high on the fun list. Instead, my wife focused on Gary leaving the office and riding a horse on a beautiful day. Excitement in my voice and step didn’t help, either. If I was going to enjoy the day, it couldn’t be work. “Boy, I wish I could go outside and goof off, too,” were her words.

Right then and there it hit me. Never, ever let on you might enjoy something. If you do, instantly you are labeled an irresponsible slacker. The same job, performed on a 15-degree day, preferable in a snow storm, would never arouse suspicion.

There is a popular saying that advises “Never let them see you sweat.” I propose another motto. “Never let them see you smile.” One famous group of workers tried being obviously happy so they sang and “whistled while they worked.” The idea was thought up by Dopey. Happy and Doc who thought it was a great idea. Sneezy and Sleepy weren’t paying much attention to the decision. Bashful probably knew they were on the wrong track, letting folks know they liked their jobs but well ... he was too bashful to tell anyone. The seventh, he was Grumpy. Someone got on to his group for enjoying their work and made them stop, I suppose. I’m Grumpy, too. I had to stay in the office and write this stupid story instead of doing something I liked. Boy, is this ever an awful job. I hate it. This is really tough work.

Chuckle, that should throw her off track for a while! You’ve got to be careful you know.