Wouldn't it be nice to not have to work? In this economy, everyone is walking around trying to convince themselves and others that "I'm just grateful to have a job." Well, I'm not. I mean, I'm grateful that I still have a (crappy) paycheck but resentful of the idea that recession=career stagnation. Frankly, as someone who made a career change out of necessity a few years ago, I feel like I'm ready for another. And yet, there are no jobs. So I feel stuck and envious of those people who have the money to just take some time out to figure out the rest of their lives. I look around me at work and people constantly complain that they are "exhausted" and "soooooooo busy" and I am sorry, but I think it's all a bunch of lies. If you really are that busy in the first place, you wouldn't have time to complain about it. Before the recession, it seemed to be some kind of badge of honor in most white-collar industries to gush about how tired and busy you were in your job. For many of my friends, it was a topic they never grew tired of reiterating to me..."Oh, I haven't worked out in a MONTH because I've been working until 5 a.m. but since I also forgot to eat during that time, I've also lost weight! Isn't that crazy," they would ask expectantly. Um, yes, crazy is one word to describe it. Stupid and embarrassing are more like it. Honestly, I don't understand why this is some kind of bragging right. Am I really supposed to be impressed that you've given up all human liberties and pleasures in order to serve someone else who is making money and taking the credit? Is this really what you will remember fondly on your deathbed?
Don't get me wrong- a strong work ethic is one of many virtues in life but when the balance of life is turned upside down, I see no other course of action but to try and right it. But people don't want to stand up for themselves out of fear of losing their jobs. Which, in turn, sends entirely the wrong message to employers and supervisors, who seem to like to punish those workers who are most expedient. Think about it: If you blaze through a project with speed and accuracy to terrific results, are most bosses going to give you the rest of the day or week off? NO! They will give you a pat on the back and expect you to keep working. Where is the incentive in that scenario to finish quickly again? Certainly, completing a task well should provide a sense of accomplishment in and of itself, but at the same time, come on- in the end, wouldn't you rather be spending what should be your free time travelling, seeing friends and family or just taking care of yourself than getting a bonus at the end of the year? What good is money if you can't enjoy spending it? And in my case, I'm not even making any decent money. It would cost the company nothing to let me go early on occasion.
America traditionally has spent way too much time in pursuit of the almighty dollar with precious little concern for actually living LIFE. Perhaps Europeans spend more on taxes but look what they get in the end- balance and pleasure in their lives. The freedom to know themselves. And perhaps most important of all, an understanding of the fact that we are human beings and as such, we need sleep, we need food and we need time to simply recharge.
Am I overworked? I don't think so. But I am not free. I have a job which requires me to sit in my seat from 8:30 until 5 and only pays me for 30 minutes of my lunch hour. I am bored beyond belief and do not agree with the often silly and meaningless rules, which do not take into consideration the needs and desires of the individual. As Americans, we claim to be against communism but within this employment system, the ideals of communism do exist. Let Big Brother tell you what to wear, what to say on the phone, when you can eat, when you can go to the bathroom, what you believe in...
The people who have bragged to me most about their busy-ness also tend to think of themselves as liberal and free. But they are not. They have swallowed whole the idea that in order to be good, productive and successful citizens, they must completely commit to their jobs and they must do them exactly as the leaders of the company want them to. They must put everything in their lives in second place, including time off. They must always be wired up and accessible to take the next instruction. As a result, you see people on family vacations, parked on a beach blanket staring intently at their laptops and Blackberries. What is the point of being away physically, when in mind and spirit, you are absent? We are a nation of zombies, not brought closer by technology and jobs but are instead being further separated than ever from our true lives.
I continue to ask for unpaid time off- of course, my current employer behaved as though they'd never even heard of such a thing- but until others share my fight and decide to demand their rights, this exploitation and wastefulness of life will continue as America gulps down microwave lunches, attends meaningless meetings and confides breathlessly to anyone who listens, "Can't talk right now...I'm SO busy!"
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