Work
The Bastardization of Work
From the noble to the mundane.
For early man, work was synonymous with survival. Hunger drove man to hunt or forage for food — the first work. It was work to survive. Survival demanded shelter. Caves provided shelter, but caves could be dark and damp. New shelters were improvised — more work. Early man did not get up and go to work. Work was life, and life was work. Even what might be considered pastimes today were essential for survival — weaving baskets to carry water, carving crude utensils. Work continued inside when darkness or cold precluded outdoor work.
There was no question or concern about the meaning of work. Work was survival. Work ensured a place to shelter. Work put food on the table and fended off hunger. Work was life.
As man’s basic needs were assured, the desire to make incremental improvements to daily life drove innovation. Rather than eat food off a dirt floor, an elevated platform was preferable — the table was born. But absent an IKEA, a table had to be fashioned out of wood or rock. The first tables were flattened logs or a well-shaped rock, anything to raise the food out of the dirt. Eventually, the table grew legs, and the desire for a stool or chair came to mind — more work.