live to work?

So while talking to my mother today I was dismayed to learn she had quit her NEW job. After 15 increasingly disgruntled years at her OLD job she finally got the gumption to leave and strike out on her own. The new "perfect" job appeared a dream come true! A decorator by trade she would be working w/others in her field. After excitedly arriving she was quickly shown her desk and told how to answer the phones. . what..wait??? Answer phones??!!! I'm sorry is this 1962? Are we watching a Mad Men episode? Wait you hired me as a receptionist?? I'm a decorator!! Well my tiny mother in her big shoes promptly took one giant step out that shiny glass door. . and cried.
This whole scenario leads me to wonder about careers, jobs, and work. What is the difference? What makes us stay at some jobs year after year or walk out after only 5 minutes? Do we work to live or live to work? This is the question we constantly ask ourselves after bad days and good. Take my jobs for instance, I own my own business and I work for a boss. My business is my life. I love it. It's what I do and know. I do not have a college degree(I really hate school). Fortunately I take after my mother's creative side. My other job waiting tables I also love, most of the time. When one has 2 jobs serving the general public it tends to wear on your nerves. There are days I go into my store and make no money and than go to the restaurant and make a ton of money. There are days in my store where I clean up and nights at the restaurant that bomb. Those are usually the nights I would like to dump red wine all over that one irritating pompous guest that just doesn't understand that I DON"T COOK THE FOOD I JUST SERVE IT!!! Jeesh. Those are the times when work is just work and I would happily do something else if I knew what to do. I know, why am I complaining when I am lucky enough to have not one, but 2 jobs in this crazy economy. Two jobs doesn't mean job security it just means I work more. Is it really work if I own it and it makes me happy? Does this make it a career? Is it really work when I make good tips? I suppose what I'm trying to say is good days or bad, we all work to live and hopefully get to be fortunate enough to live to work.