Karl Marx’s theory of alienation states that “within the capitalist mode of production is that the worker invariably loses the ability to determine his or her life and destiny, when deprived of the right to think (conceive) of himself as the director of his actions; to determine the character of said actions; to define his relationship with other people; and to own the things and use the value of the goods and services, produced with his labor.” (Schacht, 1970) .
Today, I meet my first hospice patient after working for this company for three months. This was a heartwarming and soul defining experience. It all started when; I walked into the hospital room of a potential client and presented the family with the services that I had to offer. To my surprise, I was met with a person who had prepared himself for life’s greatest journey, a journey home. In the above statement Karl Marx states that our identity lies in the product that we produce and when we are disconnected from the end result of our daily efforts, we are disconnected from life. Tonight I feel that I have been reconnected, this was the moment that I understood the value of what I really do for a living. Today my job became my calling.
As I began to speak, this man’s wife’s eyes met mine with tears. She said “I cannot do this by myself”, I responded by saying “you don’t have too, and you will never have to worry about paying for any of our services, we are here for you let us take care of you” This was the first time in my professional existence that I could make a claim that I knew would come true... I left the room knowing that today I made a difference, today was the day that I realized that I am employed by a company that was gracious enough to see my talents and then give me the power to grant a wish, a wish that could transcend the limited forces of a terminal diagnosis. Today, I was human again.
