My Love Affair With the Corporate Man

In reference to the article linked below (and again here): It's true. Everyone I know works too much. I tend to work too much. I like to ascribe it to the evils of my chosen industry and it's slavish devotion to the antiquated notion of the billable hour as a measurement of productivity. However, it isn't true.

Apparently everyone, everywhere falls prey to the seductive siren song of Work, Work, Work which is so sultrily conveyed by one's many modern gadgets.

Oh, LapTop. Oh CellPhone. Oh BlackBerry. How I love thee all. How weak I am to try to resist your charms.

But it can be done. It should be done.

Being glad to have the weekend is not right. Being elated at leaving the office at 5 is not right. Missing holidays/birthdays/anniversaries is not right. Always "tentatively" making plans; never being able to firmly commit is not right.

On the other hand, there are the advantages of: working independently, in an office (as opposed to cube - so I can close doors when I cry, at least), office supplies (how I love post-it flags), the ability to create one's own schedule (ah, the 10 am arrival time, or being able to work from home, or taking vacation without "requesting" it from someone). And of course, the $$$ payoff. Unseemly to speak about, but it is true nonetheless.

Don't do this job for my health.

As things go, I always feel that I don't work as hard as everyone else. I feel drained and wrung out and utterly spent, but I never feel that I am doing as much as everyone else. It makes me feel less competent, less complete. Sad yardstick. Who wants to compete to work more? And yet.

I have never worked regularly. My work situation has always been set up so that it goes in fits and spurts. Some periods are beyond hellish. Others are ridiculously slow. Thank god for the respites, but, I do wonder if a more regular schedule might do me some good.

Anyway....