“All acts of judgment – no matter how reasoned and respected, or whimsical and arbitrary – are built upon a belief in power.” –Antonio Dias, ‘Beyond Judgments or Opinions…’
“Power, n. The ability or capacity to act or do something effectively.” –The American Heritage Dictionary
“Power… is your ability to consciously and deliberately create the world around you. When your power is weak, you can’t effectively satisfy your needs and desires, and you become a victim of your environment. When your power is strong, you successfully cultivate a life of your own choosing, and your environment reflects it.” –Steve Pavlina, ‘Personal Development for Smart People’
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” –Genesis 1:1
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I started musing about power and work on a lovely April afternoon when I spent the day puttering about doing nothing in particular, blissful in what my mother used to like to call “The Life of Riley.” My landlord showed up, and I went out to give him my rent check. We chatted pleasantly for a while, him and I and my downstairs neighbor Jay. He’s a hard-working man, my landlord, and I couldn’t help but reflect after the conversation about how he might think I’m an idle man. Work certainly has been a bugaboo in my existence; I’ve never held down a job for more than two years, and indeed my habit of quickly quitting jobs when they became difficult is what broke up my marriage.
What is it about jobs and work that prove so troublesome for me? I’m lucky in that I have most of my needs taken care of; I survive on a monthly disability check, have social services galore, and a loving network of family and friends that help me out when I need it. Certainly I shouldn’t worry too much about my shortcomings and enjoy gratefully the bounty of life?
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To get the whole world out of bed
And washed, and dressed, and warmed, and fed,
To work, and back to bed again,
Believe me, Saul, costs worlds of pain.
–John Masefield, “The Everlasting Mercy”
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My ex-wife used to say I lived a sheltered life, and perhaps she was right. I don’t like pain. None of us do, but I have had the rare opportunity of a life in which most of my troubles have been self-inflicted, and in which I’ve never necessarily had to work at a normal, paycheck-producing job for a living. But to say that I do not work misses the mark.
I am a writer. I have written my whole life. It is my vocation. What I am doing in Maseltaum for all you wonderful readers is sharing my work with you, in hopes that I can use the power of the word to make your lives better. That is my act of service. That is my work, and that is my power.
And it is not entirely painful. One day I may get money for my work; it’s inconsequential to me at this point. I write because I love it. And to love your work is the greatest blessing that any human could ever ask for. It is also the source of great power.
Maseltaum 