If you had stopped at the office of Bluff Park Realty in Birmingham, Ala., Friday afternoon, you might have met a furry new worker. Lucy is now trained in greeting customers at the front counter. She earned her treats and she had a good time.
I knew things would be slow on the Friday before Thanksgiving, so it was a good day for her to have a fun trip out. I was in the office for only four hours, so it was long enough for her to have a break from her normal routine but not so long that she would be unhappy.
I think both of us had fun.
I grew up believing that work was fun. I was excited about the things I planned to do — things other people consider work — and it never occurred to me that work could be boring. Having Lucy around this afternoon left me thinking about what changed for me along the way — and about what still needs to change.

Society needs storytellers to help make sense of a changing world
What if other people see you or hear you differently than you do?
On National Dog Day, remember how love can change any of us
Partisans defend every kind of evil when it’s done by their own allies
Does Ron Paul lead in Iowa? Does it matter for the long term if he does?
This is why people are confused about what anarchists really are
Economic Man needs no heart, because love and God are dead
My bad teen poetry suggests I’ve always hungered for missing love
Most prizes feel empty, because our real need is for connection