I wrote the following article when I was in my early 30’s drifting aimlessly in and out of temp jobs.
It has the potential to offend some readers.‘Being in your thirties is not that old, but it’s old enough to feel mortality. I had developed a keen sense to establish myself – make my mark by my mid-thirties. But I had given up and seemed content to get on with the slow suicide of government work’
Sitting, peering, folding and unfolding arms. Chewing my Nicorette gum like a man possessed. My third shot for the day.
No one smokes at work, which means I can’t smoke either. The place where I work is a government department, but it may as well be an outreach arm of ‘Quit’.
It’s almost unhealthy how healthy it is.
At work, I act like a reformed smoker too, cringing at the lazy bastards smoking at the entrance to our building. “Why don’t you go and do that somewhere else?”
Clicking the Send and Receive button in my email has become quite a habit. I’m unsure what I am hoping to achieve by digitally prodding the outside world except develop a compulsive disorder. I glance at other people’s screens as I meander about the office. What I see are the flickering splashes of popular sites such as the footy-tipping page, Facebook messaging…
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“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
This reminds me of an office I had who doesn’t do anything other than tinker with her Facebook messenger or shop online. What a waste of government funds and violation of one’s public office!
Hello! Well everyone does it Tina including the bosses. At least at places where I worked eons ago.
Yes. I may just be too ideal, but there are some people who just go to work to do that. Lol. Still happens today. Nothing’s really changed…
I admire your spirit! We should all be aiming towards our ‘ideal’ otherwise what’s the point.
Precisely! We may not be always successful in living up to our ideals but for the most part, doing our best to do so is enough. 🙂
Yes! I remember a famous quote years ago which encapsulates this:
‘Ah, but a man’ s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for’ – Robert Browning
I know some of these people…or rather their equals.
In IT we have to tell people we know where they go on the internet but…ownership won’t spring for the tools to track them with.
Did you read the whole post buddy?
It goes way deeper than that, although I might be doing myself a disservice prodding you to read further lol
It is close to what I experience now… nothing is stimulating or inspiring… I am a cynic at work….People play their parts at work and are false…I see it day in and out and it’s like being a hamster on a wheel.
What you wrote to me is a small microcosm of many places. Now…I might not have picked up on what you wrote.
Like I said…I know these people and situations.
And….. I was secretly hoping to see a pic of Cassandra…lol
Yes, I figured it was a microcosm of many office workplaces in the western world.
I was hoping I gave sufficient detail of Cassandra that you wouldn’t require a photo! Haha.
I took more to ‘Lauren’ than any other colleague because she didn’t give a shit. Apart from her obsession with healthy nuts, she was always herself. The biggest thing I had for Cassandra was a George Constanza feeling. ‘I’m ravished by a woman that could ignore me that much’! But in actual fact Lauren was the bigger sweetheart.
I’m glad you were able to personally relate to the post. I liked your hamster on the wheel analogy! That made me laugh.
Well I work somewhere…private not goverment but where we shop for laptops on ebay… a big company ran like a mom and pop place.
I see new people coming in thinking they are going to “change” the culture…I see these people coming in…they are basically the same until the place whips them lol.
I told my last boss…”I give you 6-9 months” he gave me a nervous laugh….I promise you …he was gone in 9 months.
Sorry man you got me on a roll. I’m looking right now…I’m just afraid I’ll end up somewhere just as bad lol… at least I have some leverage at this place. But I think…I should not settle for this..
You can get swallowed up by the atmosphere and turn into something you complain about if you are not careful.
I like your George Constanzs quote lol.
Good morning bad!
You what? You told your boss that you gave him 9 months. Normally it’s the other way around, whereby the boss intimidates the new employee. You definitely have leverage if that’s the case! Haha
I never really had that in any job as I moved between military posts so often.
Your comment here was very poignant:
‘You can get swallowed up by the atmosphere and turn into something you complain about if you are not careful.’
I’m glad you liked the Constanza quote. Well it’s not a direct quote rather ‘words to the effect’. But you got my drift.
Have an excellent day Bad!
Good Morning!
Yes I did… He told me later that he thought I was not a happy employee but then he said he found out why I wasn’t happy when everything I told him would happen…happened…I took his job after he left and still have it…I know the owner and he knows me.
I’ve been here 11 years…it wasn’t always like this and I know every IT secret of the place…I share knowledge but even when I quit back in 2012 to work somewhere else…smaller company… I had to work part time here because they trusted no one else on backups. Almost like being married and cannot get a divorce. They convinced me to come back.
I like most of the people but just wished they would act like a big company.
You have a great one also!
Oh I understand now. You told him based on the working environment and circumstances rather than his ‘aptitude’ as an employee.
So basically the company is behest to to you because of your crucial knowledge. The not being able to divorce analogy was funny!
Sounds like you want to stick there Bad! They seem good to you and you good for them!
Yea I was afraid you might take it that way…no I’m not that brash…I just use humor and honesty and it seems to work.
Thanks for the chat…it’s nice to vent! lol
Humour and honesty in the workplace. Yeh, that’ll work!
Yes, it’s good to vent I find. That’s why I maintain this blog. Haha
Have a great day Bad!