Welcome to the Daily article podcast for Thursday, April the 27th,

2023. I'm Chris Elkins with the Denison Forum, narrating today's article written by Dr. Jim Denison.

On a morning when the economic fears and brutal fighting in Ukraine are making headlines,

let's begin with some good news. A crew with the Austin Fire Department

in Texas passed a house where a 95-year-old man was struggling to mow his lawn. They stopped and

made quick work of the hilly front yard as the department's tweet reported. Watching the video

encouraged my faith in humanity.

Now back to Ukraine, when 75-year-old Fuminori Tsuchiko moved to Kharkiv on the border

with Russia, he began serving hot food to people taking shelter from Russian missile strikes.

Now, he's opened an above-ground cafe that serves around 500 hot meals every day

for free to the needy in the city. Once again, the accompanying video lightened by morning,

and it led me to reflect on a vital factor for flourishing amid the challenges of our day.

Today's article was prompted by this Atlantic headline,

why Americans care about work so much.

I don't always agree with author Derek Thompson,

but I always find his writing to be perceptive and relevant.

Here's this key insight, quote,

Workism is rooted in the belief that work can provide everything we have historically expected from organized religion, community, meaning self-actualization, end quote.

Thompson explained that the creed that work should be the centerpiece of one's identity creates an obsession with educational

achievement for children and their parents. It also leads to overwork for adults and less time

focused on family, friends, and personal pursuits. Thompson cites a Pew Research Center survey

in which roughly half of Americans said having a job or

...