What constitutes 'meaningful' work?
Here's the story of my most meaningful job, as a waitress by the seaside.
If you ever find yourself at Gorleston beach you should head up to the clifftop.
Pass the beachfront mansions on the left, and you’ll reach Avondale road.
Take the first right onto Bells Road, and you’re nearly at my favourite place.
Walk a little further down and you’ll see Margo’s Lounge. You can’t miss it. It’s an old glass-fronted building, so you can see if there’s a table free before you’ve ventured in.
The twirly staircase heads down to the basement. There’s a plush olive green sofa, where I worked on some of my first freelance jobs. Specials are written on the ornate mirror. Go for the quiche if they have some left. The record player pumps out a retro soundtrack while customers make light work of enormous slices of cake. The front door is stiff, but you just need to be firm with it.
One of the waitresses will greet you. You’ll feel like you just stepped into an old friend’s house. Like you’re exactly the person they’ve wanted to see all day. People who can make you feel that way are magnificent.
If you become a regular, they’ll learn your coffee order by heart. They know you like the milk hot, and just a dash of vanilla syrup. They’ll check if you want the bill now, so you can make it to your next appointment.
One customer holds a special place for the women of Margo’s Lounge. Don’t be surprised if you see them signing to him. There’s a chance you won’t be able to understand their sign language – this customer is known to embellish it with his own symbols. But the waitresses understand. They make him feel seen and heard, every single time.
At Christmas time they put up 70s-style decorations. Streamers, lanterns, miles of tinsel. It is the warmest, cosiest place I know. And I don’t mean the temperature.
Why am I telling you about a little cafe near my home town?
Because five years ago, I worked there. It was the most meaningful job I ever had.
At the time, I had one freelance contract under my belt. But £250 a month wasn’t cutting it. So I got to know the regulars, learned how to work the record player, wrote specials on the mirror, and mopped the whole place down at the end of the day.
When I left college at 19, I knew I wouldn’t accept anything less than meaningful work. I assumed that meaningful work would involve changing the world in some grandiose, public way.
Turns out I was wrong. Meaningful work is bringing someone their favourite drink, and double-checking if it’s hot enough. Meaningful work is stopping to chat with a customer when you know they’re going home to an empty house.
Meaningful work is changing someone’s world. Every day.
The manager at Margo’s Lounge became my best friend. Just this weekend, she sent me a message about a gallery looking for artists. I haven’t picked up a paintbrush for months. But maybe that’s my next opportunity to do meaningful work.
~ Ebony-Storm x
The resource section
🤖 What does AI mean for meaningful work? It’s a mixed bag, according to this research from February. Skip to the ‘Ethical Implications: AI and Meaningful Work’ section if you want actionable insights.
😃 Don’t get it twisted – meaningful work and happy work are different things. But they do overlap. This HBR podcast episode shares work insights from the world’s longest happiness study. It’s a spectacular listen.
💬 Shameless plug. I was invited onto Omri Hurwitz’ tech show to talk ChatGPT, being a writer, and the internet as an educator. Watch to cringe at my facial expressions.