71 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
71 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "Re: What Would You Do if You Didn't Have to Work?"
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description: "Oh the lives we could lead without capitalism in the way."
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date: 2026-05-18
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tags:
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- Life
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- Quick Thoughts
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synopsis: "Oh the lives we could lead without capitalism in the way."
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imageURL: /img/what-would-you-do-if-you-didnt-have-to-work/ducc.webp
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imageAlt: "A close up shot of a well fed mallard with a shiny green head bobbing about in the Chicago River."
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mastodon_id: "116596651947015321"
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---
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In response to [this recent post](https://gary.onl/what-would-you-do-if-you-didnt-have-to-work/) by [gary online](https://gary.onl/): I am *absolutely* not someone who derives their worth or identity by what they do
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to earn a crust. If I didn't have to work, I'd lead a richness of life that
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would put to shame both the wastrels[^1] of ~~inherited~~ *stolen* means who live by
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the labor of others, and the wealthy denizens of the c-suite who earn their
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exorbitant salaries by becoming professional whip-crackers for the former. Here
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are a few things I'd like to do.
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[](/img/what-would-you-do-if-you-didnt-have-to-work/ducc.webp)
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- Learn
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[Launy Grøndahl's Trombone Concerto](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY8VJ6n83Qs&list=RDAY8VJ6n83Qs&start_radio=1)
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so well I could play it in the middle of a battlefield.
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- Finally get around to learning tenor clef in order to be able to do so.
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- Cook for people: great big trays of vegan mac and cheese, spaghetti squash
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with all sorts of sauces, coconut curries, baked beans, cornbread, teriyaki,
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pizzas, burgers in homemade pretzel rolls, foccacia with olive oil and
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balsamic vinegar for dipping, crunchy palmiers, millionaire's shortbread, tablet,
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dosa, sambar, kale salads with pickled vegetables and crispy tofu, orange
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faux chicken, seitan deli meats and country-fried steaks, biscuits and
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"sausage" gravy, and more.
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- Learn to make stovies, vegan haggis, peshwari naan, and sourdough bread, and
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other delicious things.
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- Get really good at programming.
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- Learn C++ so that I can contribute code to open source projects like
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[Scribus](https://www.scribus.net/), [Inkscape](https://inkscape.org/), and
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[KDE](https://kde.org/).
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- Focus on my health and fitness.
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- Go to college and/or university, something I never had the chance to do, and
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learn about psychology, computer science, music, mathematics, statistics,
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design, and electrical engineering.
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- Take courses for the fun of learning something new.
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- Write more.
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- Spend more time with my partner.
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- Spend more time socializing.
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- Go on more walks.
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- Feed peas to the ducks on the river more days than not.
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- Make more incense.
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- Get really good at making incense.
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- Try my hand at enfleurage
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- Learn perfumery.
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- Take a first-aid course.
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- Design signage and informational material for public benefit.
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- Get back into welding.
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- Attempt to make soap.
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- Lay in the grass on sunny days drinking shandy and eating vegan cheese and
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crackers.
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- Get my Spanish into shape.
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- Learn German.
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- Learn more Scots. Maybe write something in it.
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- Write music.
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- Wile away afternoons in cafés drinking tea.
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- Search for resins and local aromatics.
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- Take the bus to different towns just to walk around.
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- Read more books.
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- Not worry about what time it is.
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[^1]: You ever meet one of those modern Bertie Wooster types? It's all bottle service, trips to Dubai, and overpriced yet under-seasoned lunches. Wealth truly is wasted on the wealthy.
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