Do We Work to Live or Live to Work?
Good morning and happy weekend! With the thermometer already reading 29°C early this morning here in Serres, it is official, summer is here, and it is scorching. The most interesting feature of today isn't just the bright sunshine, but the fact that the real feel temperature is expected to hit a staggering 40°C later this afternoon! We will be spending the whole day cuddled up with the air conditioner. A very comforting hug.
We would like to share a scene we witnessed from our balcony, as strange as that may sound. Right next to our home there is a supermarket. It is a local chain. We also have the large Greek supermarket chains, but this one is different.
The difference you would notice if you came here to buy your vegetables or ingredients for cooking is that it certainly doesn't have the variety of the larger supermarkets. However, it has a butcher's counter, deli meats, cheeses, and almost everything you need.
It also has something you don't often find in larger chains, and I think this can be seen from two different perspectives. It doesn't have the same formality or the strict working environment. The kind where someone asks, "D'ya need a bag love?" (that's exactly how they asked me in Tesco and Morrisons in England, and also in many large supermarkets in Greece) without even looking at your face.
Here, they will ask your name. They will learn what you do for a living. You will joke with them, talk freely as if you have known each other for years, and we as customers feel the same way as though they are people we already know. We know things about them, and they know things about us, at least the things we choose to share. You'll often see them stepping outside for a break if the shop isn't too busy, having a cigarette, drinking a coffee, and chatting with customers outside the entrance.
Yesterday, one of these ladies stepped out of the supermarket during her shift holding three small candles in her hands and walked across to the church opposite to light them.
And so, from my balcony, a simple scene like that made me think, or perhaps more accurately, feel, and come a little closer to people. I also wish every workplace could be like this, where people have time to do human things instead of robotic ones.
Work should exist to support our humanity, not destroy it.
Mary is often fascinated by the English expression, "What do you do for a living?" rather than simply asking, "What is your job?" or "What is your profession?" as we usually do in Greece.
Do you believe the role of work should encourage more human connection?
If you read all the way to the end, thank you. We would genuinely love to hear your thoughts, memories, or feelings in the comments. And if you ever feel like writing to us more personally, you can always send us a letter at:
✉️ unplug.thrive@gmail.com
— Mary & Chris
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I like how you noticed that small moment with the candles -- it shows the person behind the job.
ReplyDeleteWork feels lighter when there’s room for kindness, laughter, and little human pauses. That supermarket sounds special, the kind of place where community matters more than routine.
Hello Veronica, good evening! I hope you're all doing well. Although the days are very hot, the evenings bring a lovely cool breeze, and that's the best part of the day. You understood exactly what I meant about the supermarket. Sometimes I prefer the feeling of community over a sterile, impersonal business. Thank you sincerely for being here!
DeleteYour supermarket reminds me of some of the smaller French ones that we used to visit when we lived there. Friendliness was very much part of life. We also saw some horrors, namely British people bellowing 'Dont you speak English?' at poor bewildered French staff.
ReplyDeleteHello Elizabeth. Maria loves France and would love to go back after her first visit. It's outrageous for communication to become so hostile when someone demands things from other people in that way. I hope there were also many beautiful moments that somehow made up for that unpleasant experience.
DeleteI echo Veronica's comment here. Thank you so much for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda, for being here and for your comment.
DeleteI think I would enjoy shopping at the supermarket so near your home, the one where customers are almost friends. It's a rare thing to find in this busy world. Even in the big supermarkets I'll stand in line for a cashier that I know is always smiling and friendly instead of another who does not bother even to look at you. A smile and a pleasant word makes life easier.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're managing to cope in the extreme weather. Granny Marigold
Good evening from Greece, Granny Marigold. It's quite hot here, but we're managing. Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment. It's beautiful that you would sacrifice convenience in order to gain human connection and a smile. I truly believe that alone can make a great difference in the way we see the world and our lives. We wish you good health and all the very best.
DeleteWe are in for high heat by mid week. I do not like those days. When I was first married there was a small market at the end of our street. They knew me by name and the butcher taught me so much about cuts of meats.
ReplyDeleteCathy
Hello Cathy. Both Maria and I struggle a little with the heat. We love the colder seasons, and even though we grew up in a Mediterranean country, we have never really adapted to the hot weather. But we do our best. Your experience was lovely. It sounds like that gentleman truly cared about both his work and his customers. And as a specialist, I believe you learned many valuable things. Our butcher often recommends different ways to cook the meat and sometimes even advises us on which cuts we should choose.
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