Metro
I’m in the process of evolving. DNA strands change with each passing hour of exposure to fluorescent lighting and the chaotic networked activity of corporately-owned PC’s. The rattle and bump (and smell) of public transporation and a state of existence that for the most part is had surrounded by heavy, triple reinforced concrete walls no doubt only speeds the transformation. What is it I’m becoming, you ask? A cityrat.
My eyes are growing beadier as I type.
I take the bus to and from work. It’s excitingly droll; brand-new monotony, if you will.
My mind is overflowing with new experiences and sensations; I’ve been told I should savor this while it lasts before everything fades into a horrifying Office Space grey. This world is completely different than any I’ve ever inhabited. Maybe the thing I’ve noticed the most is the sort of people who actually manage to hold jobs. I suppose in a large corporation it’s quite possible to eak out a decent income under the radar and not really actually do that much work at all. I’ve witnessed 30-40 minute conversations about nothing between desk truants who apparently weren’t concerned about their absence or non-productivity. You know those people you laughed at in college who slept through every class (either at the class or at their dorm)? (maybe you were one of those). They actually have jobs, but they haven’t changed. I’ve heard that the guy who previously had my cube used it to practice the fine art of napping.
In one sense this is rather frustrating, but in another sense it fills me with expectation (and heightens my sense of ambition). The common denominator is severely hampered by bums, therefore achievers may stand out even more–like a healthy thumb. I can smell power… or is that the printer slowly burning out?
Sep 13th 2005
congrats on the new job, who is the company?
Sep 14th 2005
I’d like to maintain the ability to post about my work experiences, so I’d rather not say the name of the company in this forum. I’ll tell you who it is next time I see you (or you can email me).
Sep 15th 2005
Way to go on the new job. “Brand new monotony” I like that idea.
While your want to rise above the slovenly habis of your neighbors is certainly a good thing, be careful how much you stand out. Those people who do nothing the longest are often quite adept at taking down those who accentuate their pathetic behaviors with the sharp contrast of good work and ambition. I call it the cruel meanness of the shdrewdly lazy.
Sep 15th 2005
ahh, the Sasquatch has spoken—and I take it to heart. I remember reading a humorous opinion column in the business section about the epic power of passive aggression on those who are merely aggressive.
Strategies to suggest?
Sep 15th 2005
Interesting blog. This one is definitely one of the more prosaic blogs that I have run across without trying to be flippantly funny. I am a flippantly funny blogger.
You have a way with words.
I imagine that you feel like you are one of the few enlightened people stuck amidst the dull boobery of mediocre wage slaves. That, unfortunately, is what work and jobs in general are about.
The sasquatch is correct in his warning to you about the most lackluster and lazy having the ability to undermine the most energized and industrious. It is how they have survived for millenia. They are the cockroaches of the professional world.
I wish you luck with your new vocation, and hope that you are able to at least glean some level of fulfillment from whatever drudgery this job entails.
Cheers