Trade Show Preparation: Is Work Important?

I'm at the Catholic Marketing Network's trade show near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this week.

The Writer as Gopher Gofer

The work's a definite change of pace for me. I'm the gopher/cameraman/whatever for the Spiral Light Candle Corp. and Oasis Productions. The sort of gopher I am is supposed to be spelled gofer, but I live in Minnesota: and that's another topic.

Another Week of the Same Old Thing - Sort of

On the other hand, it'll be more of the same for me. I plan - hope - to keep writing about my experience at the trade show. And about what's happening there. I'm keeping a link list to posts in this and other blogs here:

• "Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Annual Trade Show"

Family Vacation, Philadelphia, and a Blatant Plug

The Catholic Marketing Network's trade show has something new this year: a children's area. Here comes blatant plug: If you're on a family vacation, and in the Philadelphia area, other families have been fitting the trade show into their vacations.

I put a schedule of the CMN trade show hours in this post:

• "Families, Vacations, Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Annual Trade Show, Schedules, and a Candle"
  (August 1, 2011)
  Particularly
  • Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show Floor Schedule

Is Work Important?

I'm an American, and have some of the 'work ethic.' I get concerned when time passes, and I haven't produced something. Anything.

That's part of the culture - but is "work" really all that important? That depends on what sort of "work" a person is thinking of.

There's the old crack:

"Nobody, on his death bed, says 'I wish I'd spent more time at the office.' "

There's something to that, I think. But, like I said, I'm bothered when I haven't done something.

To hear some folks talk, you'd think that the Catholic Church would have some rigid rule about work. Like 'work is bad,' or 'work is good.' Turns out, the Church does have quite a bit to say about work. Including this quick list:

• Work as in "faith and works"
  • It's important
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1368)
• "Productive" work that's closer to the 'work ethic'
  • It's important, too
  • So is getting paid
  • Or showing a profit, after paying your employees and suppliers
    (Catechism, 2426-2429)
    • Which can lead to conflict
      • but 'nobody said this was going to be easy.'
        (Catechism, 2430-2436)
• Not Working
  • Also important
    (Catechism, 1193, 2172, 2184-2188)

I suppose someone could say that's "vague:" and I've been over that before. (July 18, 2009)

Media, Mass, and Me

I'll probably be doing some of the camera work for live streaming video from the Catholic Marketing Network's trade show. I think they'll have the live feed on livestream.com/catholicmarketingnetwork. There's nothing there now: since it's a live feed, and it's almost midnight here in Pennsylvania.

Work ethic or not, I'm turning in for the night. My gung-ho son-in-law and #2 daughter - well, they're about a quarter-century younger than I am: and that makes a difference.

Vaguely-related posts:

• "Trade Show in Pennsylvania, Ecclesiastes, Software, and Schedules"
  (July 26, 2011)
• "Passing Through Status Symbol Land"
  (May 14, 2011)
• "Celebrating Mass, Flossing My Teeth"
  (October 20, 2010)
• "Sunday Obligation, Recovering From Surgery, Wild Weather, and Martha"
  (July 17, 2010)
• "Is the Church For Capitalism? Yes: and No"
  (March 13, 2010)