It’s a Brand New Day. End of an Era. Okay, all I did was quit my job…

What’s happening?  Well if anyone follows me or even knows me they will know that I have shed the shackles of corporate world in favour of the private sector – regardless if it is a job that I am not really qualified for, but that is a story for another time.  So I thought I would put a bit of a rant/theme post in order to shed the milk-toast cubicle world once and for all.  I am not really a malcontent – I just play one in real life.

Why do we do the “working for the man” thing?  I know everyone or mostly everyone does this at some point, as let’s be honest, big money hires most of the people if you were to speak in generalities.  It’s atrocious that the math alone for Walmart indicates that essentially 1 in every 300 people you will see in the United States of America are already employed by Walmart (well according to basic math and a wiki search).  I know it isn’t always the same when comparing working for the man versus working in a corporate culture, but essentially they share a lot of synergistic values…oh noes, corporate Sandy creeps in…

Okay, so you work in a company where you are essentially a cog in the machine, where you are in fact a combination of zeros and ones.  Don’t worry it is fine; it is fairly safe, you don’t have as many worries on a daily basis and you are probably paid average amongst almost anyone you know.  Honestly, if you don’t live for your job or ended up in the field that you always wanted to, why wouldn’t you put your 8 hours in and move along to other things in life that do make you happy – for example music blogging!!  So what is the big deal, you ask?  It eats at your very soul and you damn well know it!  Dramatics are my strong suit so take what I say with a large grain of salt and feel free to berate me in the comments.  That aside, one’s “soul” is surprisingly undervalued when discovering that daily your work life is eating at your personality or even your willingness to see/smell/touch the world around you.  That is the rub, you discover that you get a sense of community in your cubicle world and it helps keep you in your place.  One of the main links in the chain that holds you in your shackles is human nature itself.  It’s odd, that as humans we have a ‘basic truth’ that includes the need to be understood, be heard and to be included.  So you get together with the other drones by the photocopier or [insert communal business location] and commiserate about how bad your job is.  You discuss how it is groundhog day again, how traffic was even worse today than yesterday and how co-worker X is a real bitch (again).  And there it is…all of a sudden you feel just a bit better – you met with “your people”, you felt heard, justified for being complacent and even bonded over being resentful to the company that pays your electrical bill that keeps your computer able to post on that childish music blog thing.  AND it keeps you in your place.  Just like a vice, you gain attachment to the “angst”, you are no longer a 15 year old with “fuck the world” angst, but you have grown older and wiser in order to have full on working adult “fuck the establishment” angst.  It makes you feel better (almost superior), you have your crew who feel the same and it makes it easier to work in your 5ft x 5ft piece of industrial grey carpet just that much longer.

No longer my friend.  Light shines from the the very staff of Gandalf the White as he brings hope in the form of his Riders of Rohan to save you from Helm’s Deep (or Sales office, whatever).  Yes, I did just compare corporate industry to the crux of The Two Towers.  No matter what I do, I am always a bit of a geek/jokester – so I guess I was always built for my new life, and I am looking forward to it very much.

So in looking forward to my new life in “Web & Marketing” and the ability to not wear neckties; enjoy a couple of tunes to go along with the vibe of the ramblings above.  Just calling it like I see it, folks.

“Working Poor (HearYa Session)” – Horse Feathers – Check the full session here
“Mourning Worker” – Strand of Oaks, live at the Nave – Check the full session here

~Smansmith

p.s.  I think I just need a beer and to relax a bit, no?