People seem to think that we suffer a general malaise as a result of being overworked in the workplace. But no one requires us to work as hard as we do. We can live perfectly happily with wages slightly above minimum wage so long as we financially extend ourselves modestly. I see it all around me. Never before have I worked with such a happy dynamic group of individuals as where I work right now. The job is manual, and the wage is not high, but the employment conditions are excellent and relaxed, and that results in a circle of employees that genuinely works to live. No one is unhappy with their job, because they simply see it as a means to the end of exploring the environment we share. That takes no money. It takes no car, no bike, a modest pair of hiking boots and $3.25 bus fare to some of the most spectacular lookout points you have ever seen. No one is much wealthier than any other -- not even the management -- and everyone delights in being on financial par with one another.

These working conditions should be emulated. I work in a co-op. And it is amazing how paying attention to little details (like a dash of respect and an understanding that no one works to further the ends of a corporation but themselves) leads to a better situation for everyone. It is not like the business suffers, either. That is the amazing part. Last year alone, we net $200 million.