I have always felt that people who love their work are blessed, they are the chosen few, watched over by angels and cherubs. Life is short and precious, much too short to me to spend it doing things I don’t love or care about for people who care nothing about me.

Yet it seems our economic system has become skilled at pulling people away from their callings and passions and pulling them into lives of economic enslavement. They flock to the bad jobs because there are no longer good jobs in the country,  in rural America, a scandal that has led directly to our poisonous political struggles.

I always look for people who love their work, I want to write about them photograph them, they have a radiance that sets them apart from the disgruntled and alienated corporate employe.

How can there be peace when so many people find themselves working for companies that will toss them in the trash in a micro-second the moment sales or profits dip.

Greg Burch loves his job. He loves being outdoors, in nature, handling big trucks and wood processors.

He is always smiling.

He loves pairing the wood up with his loyal customers, some of who have known he for 40 years. Ask anybody up here who is the best person for wood, and every say “Greg Burch.”

He brings seasoned, dry wood, will never let anybody out to dry without wood in the winter, and is honest. If he has to raises his prices, you will always know why.

He always takes a few minutes to say hello. He always has a good story to tell, and is usually riding about with his ancient Pug, J.D., the inspiration for Bud and Gus. Greg is big tough guy, but whenever he mentions that J.D., who always rides in the cab,  is 16 years old, and beginning to struggle, his eyes tear up.

I don’t know what I’ll do without that dog, he tells me. Yes, you do I say, you’ll get another dog and do it again.

People who love their work – Kelly Nolan, Robin, Mary, Jean from the diner – have a radiance about them that seems sacred to me. They are all symbols of what work can be. Maria and I both love what we do, we give thanks for our work every day.