7 Diversions for the Overworked

*Here’s a gratuitous picture of beautiful Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan on a snowy afternoon.*

Lots of work leaves little time for blogging, but here are seven things I’ve noticed lately:

A Critical View of Labor Day

Today is Labor Day in the United States, the unofficial end of the summer season. Beneath the barbecues, furniture sales and endless traffic home from the long weekend is the meaning of the day: to honor the working people who make stuff happen.

The New American Workplace

Courtesy WeWork

I have a love-hate relationship with the modern way of doing business.

Companies are increasingly assigning tasks to non-staff freelancers, creating a flexibility that allows them to pay only for work that needs to get done. It allows industry to sidestep the requirements to offer health insurance to these project workers, since the assignments are not long enough to qualify the workers for benefits. (And in the uniquely American  view, healthcare is in the same category as savings plans and gym discounts.)

The Dense Lights of the New York Skyline

The best way to appreciate the New York City skyline is from across one of the rivers, where you can get the panoramic view reflected off the water.

A brief subway ride under the East River from what we call “The City” takes you to Gantry Plaza State Park, a strip of shoreline facing Manhattan’s East Side. I rarely go to the neighborhood without a visit to this park. The sensible, walkable design and the beauty it presents remind me why I still live here.

New Horizons: Things Are Looking Up

Midlife is a strange and exciting time to be job-eliminated.

I had a lifetime of caring for other people (I am the oldest of five so the responsibilities started early.) I can now sensibly think of shifting gears and earning a living at work that I love. But what?