The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Opinion / Columns / Don’t live for work

Don’t live for work

April 16, 2004 by Kyle Peveto

By Kyle Peveto, Opinion Editor

Column Schmolumn

In three weeks, I will embark on my post-graduate journey. It does not scare me, but I do realize I’ll never enjoy the same freedom I did in college.

No more summer vacations, spring breaks or month-long Christmas vacations. Instead of spending 13 hours a week in class, I’m gonna spend at least 40 at work.

Almost 40 percent of Americans now work more than 40 hours a week according to U.S. News and World Report. I’m willing to bet the great majority of those 40 percent do not feel any great loyalty or love for the corporation or person they work for.

Studies also say Americans work about 12 hours a week more than Europeans, and 26 percent of Americans never take any vacation at all.

Americans get less vacation time than any other industrialized nation-an average of eight days after a year on the job. Europeans get four to six weeks a year, and workers in communist China even get three weeks off, according to the Work to Live Web site.

In America, the great bastion of individualism and freedom, we work more and get less personal time than any other industrialized country.

Americans, while we work more, spend less time with our families and less time doing what we want. Our families, bodies and sanity suffer.

A movement called Work to Live has petitioned Congress for years to establish a minimum paid leave-a longer mandatory vacation time given to American workers. Go to their Web site at www.worktolive.info and work toward securing yourself a sane future away from your job.

Work to live, don’t live for work.

Filed Under: Columns

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

About Kyle Peveto

You are here: Home / Opinion / Columns / Don’t live for work

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
ashleyh1607 Ashley Henderson @ashleyh1607 ·
3 Jun

My second year at ACU was full of opportunities that grew me as an individual and a journalist.

In my first year as editor in chief of @acuoptimist, we published six print issues, filmed a 3-hour live election show, and revamped our newscast, all while producing news weekly.

Reply on Twitter 1929734328445178254 Retweet on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Like on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Twitter 1929734328445178254
Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
optimistsports Optimist Sports @optimistsports ·
2 Jun

The Optimist reached out to ACU Athletics, who provided the following statement.

Reply on Twitter 1929676060947632336 Retweet on Twitter 1929676060947632336 1 Like on Twitter 1929676060947632336 1 Twitter 1929676060947632336

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

12 months ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #privatechristianuniversity #collegestudentopinion #acuopinion ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved