Looking around the room
June 13th
I have been here at my current job for 6 years. I changed offices, desks, and my workspace several times during that time. People around me changed as well, a lot left for something better, and new ones were hired. In my eyesight, there are 12 people now. Only 6 of them were here when I started, but the rest has been here long enough for me to get to know them. I spent a big part of my day with them, interacting with them and just hearing them next to where I am.
Among them is one person I really like. I mean, really, really like her. That sounds like high school talk, but I guess there is something teenager-like in every infatuation. There are several good colleagues, and some I feel completely indifferent to. Some are vastly more experienced than me, but have no self-confidence. Some are loud and boisterous but are deficient in what they do. Most are married or soon to be married, most with children already. Some are extremely controlling with their children, some just let them do whatever. Some have domestic troubles with their spouses, only a few have solid, mature relationships. Everyone complains about money, no one is paid enough, but some are aspiring to be outwardly visibly better off than they can afford and are going deeper and deeper into debt and depression which follows it. One person struggles with substance abuse without yet knowing that she is already addicted. Two others are doing their best to join her there soon. There is a gambling addict who tries to convince everyone that he has it under control by making constant jokes about it, but I guess he mostly needs himself to convince and believe in it. There are few control freaks — with constant calls and arguments with their spouses about their whereabouts and missing a phone call by a minute. There are few who, over the years, let themselves go and become fat. There is one who went in a different direction — by becoming a fitness fanatic and spending all of her free time in the gym and in the swimming pool. Everyone speaks at least one foreign language and most of them spent years abroad either as students or early in their work career and are well-informed and educated part of the European community. Only one person has visible conservative views, most are center-left or liberal-left leaning when it comes to social issues. About half of them read books and lend their books to each other. The other half watches TV and Netflix only. There are two football fans constantly talking and arguing about it. There is very little talk about politics and, if it is, then it is mostly about the effects it has on their mortgages and loans. Not one person has any time for the church and organized religion, which is frankly amazing considering we are living in a very conservative area of a very conservative country.
Now everybody is calling within our office space to go for lunch. And the same groups of two or three people as every day are going to the cafeteria to eat something. I think I am hungry myself as well.
