I recently heard a professor talking on NPR about what life would mean if everything became automated. Some scientists believe that people will become their true person when all is removed from their life that can be done by robot or computer. The woman I heard was arguing that we are made up of the activities we do, choose to do and have to do. I have been pondering this quite a bit. The neighbor "boy" (who is now 21) and I were discussing this and what makes life "better". I think we are made up/defined by our activities. Here are some of my own small personal personality developments and developers.
1. Learning to ride my bike down hill very fast led to a crazy crash into the neighbors fence. I have never been interested in speed since.
2. Standing in front of a case of 31 flavors of ice cream has led to a life conviction that almost all will turn out to be good.
3. I sorted Walla Walla sweet onions for a summer job in high school, this really made me want to go to college. Realizing the greatest job in the plant was to be the person closing the 10lb bags made me want it more. That and making 3.35$ an hour.
4. Vacuuming is a stress release for me. I don't really do heavy cleaning, but miles of vacuuming has worked off a lot of anger.
5. Making beds, boring meals, scooping cat litter, folding clothes, sitting on freezing sidelines, matching socks, etc. is a labor of LOVE and means more than hearing words. The labor of love is love.
6. Sorting mail, balancing checkbooks, emptying the dishwasher, raking and sweeping etc.help with my patience - something I am short of.
I think doing the things you don't really want to do, helps define the things you really want to do. I also like to think that all these interactions is what helps maintain society. If every person only had to do what they wanted to do it would really be a selfish world. It would be as if living with a 3 year old forever.
