Work, Beer, and Philosophy

(no song lyric this time)

Work. When I was little I dreaded yard work. It was like mandatory slavery (or at least indentured servitude) every Saturday morning, with the occasional other day thrown in there as well (basically in the summer when Mom wanted us out of the house or something). This was a separate class from the typical household chores. Then in high school I started my first job and realized what making money looked like. While I don't think the purpose of work should be only to make money, it is at its base a means to provide for oneself (and family). Even when I worked maintenance at Norfolk Christian and had to do some sucky jobs, there was always a sense of accomplishment at the end of a day or a project. Now when I do yard work, it typically isn't to fulfill some time quota, but I take pride in what I can finish. Not having a job right now really makes me miss working. Sure, it can be a pain sometimes and there are always going to be those things/days, but without it I feel somehow vacant at times. Maybe it's a want for some sort of structure, but I'm thinking it has more to do with a sense of doing something productive.
Related to this in a way is this article from the NY TIMES about doing manual work. While I don't know anything about repairing motorcycles, I would never want to be caught in a cubicle doing mindless tasks all day. I thought his concluding points were particularly good.

On a different note, the other night I went with a few friends to the Taphouse. It's a great little place with lots of great beer. As we sat on the outside patio, the topics drifted to philosophy and theology amongst other things. I sat sipping my ale and pondered what people who overheard our conversation were thinking (including our waiter). As we were the youngest ones there, were they confused over why we would discuss such things? Maybe the newest American Idol results or some other TV show was perhaps more appropriate? Surely these kids are on summer break, why would they discuss something like that? Where they confused about a (positive) discussion about God involving alcohol, that apparently great taboo for the vast majority of Evangelical Christianity?
Unfortunately, I didn't have the best seat for observing, so I couldn't see many faces to check expressions or looks, and I didn't ask anyone I was with about it. Maybe I'm not giving the other patrons enough credit or maybe I'm overgeneralizing their possible thoughts, but one has to admit it's not the typical conversation at the bar (at least not for most people, although I seem to find myself involved in them somewhat frequently).