Friday, January 12, 2007

Paychecks & Allowances

I, like many other people, get a paycheck every two weeks. Like many other people, it gets direct deposited into my checking account. But I don't like calling my paycheck a paycheck. It sounds too much like I've been beaten down by the system, that I'm just another cog in the industrial wheel. I call my paycheck an "allowance".

Do you remember when you were a kid and your parents gave you an allowance? Or, if you didn't get an allowance you at least wish you did? That's kind of like how I feel about working for the company I work for.

Think about it: my company gives me something interesting to do during the day, plus provides some decent health benefits (of which I've been lax about taking advantage of - I need to get my teeth cleaned) and a way to save for retirement. I get good educational benefits from work, too, among other things. On top of all of this my company also gives me some money every couple of weeks to cover things like rent, food, bills, and my occasional local adventure.

How great is that? I realize I'm very lucky; that there aren't many people who have an employer who cares about their employees. But I think having a positive attitude about work makes me want to go to work more - and makes the workweek seem so much more enjoyable.

Yeah. I'm a pretty happy product of "the man's" system.

3 comments:

The Wordpecker said...

Nice thought. So much more refreshing than the opposing view which usually involves -"stickin' it to the man." :)

Lucky you and lucky your employer. I'm sure you'll both benefit from your outlook.

don said...

The "man" from Home Depot just walked away with 210M. While the company tanked.

Diane Lowe said...

Wordpecker: Thanks! :) I hope my employer will think so!

Don: I'll agree "the man" isn't always looking out for his people. :(