Has it really been 25 years since the Blues Brothers (starring John Belushi and Dan Akroyd, but littered with stars such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Hooker, John Candy, Cab Calloway and Carrie Fisher aka Princess Leia Organa from the original Star Wars) set out on their mission? I was maybe seven years old when I first saw the movie and to this day whenever I watch it, I find it entertaining and nostalgic. Universal Studios is releasing a 25th anniversary edition of the movie on DVD soon including an extended director's cut and a documentary explaining how the band was assembled. I will be ordering my copy to add to my collection of classic movies from back in the day.

Ironically as I slowly morph my site into a regularly-written weblog because I left the plantation (a day job for those who don't know), my first post is about people and their happiness with their jobs.

I was reading an article on MSNBC.com about polls asking workers how satisfied they are with their job. According to whomever was asked these questions, damn near everyone is satisfied with their jobs. A Gallup poll in August had 86% of those surveyed say they were either completely or somewhat satisfied with their jobs. Get this: 60% said they'd continue to work if they won $10 million.

Whu?

The polls must've been administered by CEOs around the country. Or the pollsters decided not to survey a single fry guy or busboy. I'm not insinuating the majority of the population are not satisfied with their jobs, but I seriously doubt if anyone won $10 million they'd stay on their job. Unless, of course, they're Halle Berry's personal massage therapist.

But let's identify why people say they are satisfied with their jobs. I believe people's decisions are based off two main thought processes: survival and reproduction. Not in that order.

If most people did not have their cushy li'l jobs, they'd not have a car, a house, clean clothes, basic utilities, food or a DVD player to watch Halle Berry movies. Without most of those, you might as well not even think about finding someone willing to have children with you. Someone might, I guess, but where are you going to begin the process?

See, we have to love our jobs because it provides us the necessities to survive in life. We need these material things in order to have children, pass along our genes and be comfortable in raising the little versions of ourselves. If at any point your brain decided you did not like your job, you are risking losing it, hence the one thing that allows you to fulfill your two most natural instincts of survival and reproduction.

If you had a choice to never work again and be able to live like you do (if not better) or continue to sacrifice 40+ hour a week making someone else richer than you who works less just to have five days a year to take a vacation you hope you can afford because your checks don't look like the bosses, which would you chose?

Anyone who chose work will have ugly babies. And probably was an ugly baby.

I am a working man. But I am honest about why I work. One of my business partners was joking around the other day saying I was lazy. I didn't laugh. I agreed. But I added that if there was something I could do that would contribute to me not having to work for the rest of my life, I am the hardest working person you'll ever meet. Do I enjoy what I do? Perhaps. But only because the harder I work, the sooner I'll never have to work again.

I enjoy knowing that I no longer work on the plantation. Ever hear the saying, "Happy as a runaway slave?"

About a decade ago, I was a dairy manager at Winn Dixie, the grocery store going out of business. I was making good money, but one of the baggers had just bought a brand new Nissan Altima. Curious as to how he could afford it at 18 making minimum wage, he gave me the number to a financial advisor his mom used to manage his money. Mr. Brown gave me my first lesson in compound interest.