‘I Can’t Go. I Have Work.’
What does it even mean to work for a living?
My husband and I were going away on a trip and I asked our 27-year-old son, who’s autistic and intellectually disabled, if he’d like to come along. “I can’t go. I have work,” was Diego’s answer.
It’s not like he would forgo income or be fired if he missed a few days of his volunteer work at a nearby soup kitchen, or that the coffee shop where he’s learning job skills would need to find a substitute in his absence. In fact, not only does Diego not do paid work, he actually has an aide who helps him with his unpaid work. In other words, other people get paid so Diego can work!
Some adults can’t work for a living, either permanently or temporarily. I’m talking about “living” in the traditional sense of the word, i.e., working to pay the bills. Diego might be able to do so someday, but I highly doubt it. And it’s not that I have low expectations; it’s just that I’m realistic and have come to understand that physical and financial independence is not the purpose of any life.
And yet, Diego’s sense of responsibility and work ethic are as solid as if he were making as much money as the CEO of Amazon. It may shock many to read this but not everyone’s motivation depends on how much they’re paid, or on being able to make a living. Special people such as…
