“Re: Right Between the Eyes”

When I was 28 years old, I was working for International Harvestor (now known as Navistar) as a factory worker. In my department, there was this metal boring machine that was a bear to run.

The company in its usual infinite wisdom, decided that instead of three 8-hour shifts, they would operate two 12-hour shifts (8 hours regular and 4 hours overtime, regular was about $10.25 an hour in those days).

I watched one of the young, husky and very physically fit young men work that 12-hour shift for six weeks until he had a heart attack. While he was recovering another young guy just like him worked about six weeks before he had his heart attack.

Then the department management decided to inform the Human Relations department to not only hire replacements, but to add a third shift to the job. I don't think they did this in some sort of reaction to becoming more humane; it's probably so there wouldn't be any more downtime incurred.

I learned there and then to never work myself to death. Life's too short as it is. Forty hours a week is plenty. One has the wonderful opportunity in those 40 hours to absorb enough stress and physical workout to balance out the remaining hours in the week while doing other things.

Now I admit, even when I ran my own business and also when I had a partnership, I strayed past the 40-hour mark. Sometimes I even worked 55 hours at my keyboard a week!

But nowadays I know better and I refuse to work more than 45 hours max. People in other western countries live longer with less work. There's no reason why Americans should work like crazy. Somethings wrong with the picture when we do.

BTW, I wish only goodness for you in all things. And, we've spoken of this tendency of you to work yourself to exhaustion before...

Don