wendell for wednesday

From The Art of the Commonplace:

Another decent possibility that my critics implicitly deny is that of work as a gift. …what appears to infuriate them is their supposition that [my wife] works for nothing. They assume—and this is the orthodox assumption of the industrial economy—that the only help worth giving is not given at all, but sold. Love, friendship, neighborliness, compassion, duty—what are they? We are realists. We will be most happy to receive your check.

Wendell Berry