Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Day Off
It's amazing how a day off can give you perspective. Peace, quiet and the ability to sit for long periods of time can really give one pause and the chance to reflect.
And on what, pray tell, have I been reflecting?
Those who succumb to the allure of minimal responsibility, the lack of a suit or business attire, and the chance to get an additional discount on books; in short, I have been reflecting on those in my "profession".
What prompts someone to take a job in customer service? Surely it's not someone who declares themselves a people person; about five minutes in the Store will cure you of that ill. And since I find myself surrounded by a good portion of college educated individuals, I know it's not just because they couldn't necessarily find something else. And since we sell books and not something like shoes, I know that the majority of my compatriots have not yet reached the point of being utterly and completely destroyed in both mind and soul that they just no longer care.
So what is it?
For a good number of us I think this job is a placeholder. Not quite sure which path our lives should take, we take the path of least resistance for the time being. Rather than lose our minds and souls behind a desk for a year or so whilst we try to suss out our futures, we haul piles of books - both crappy and not - and assist customers - both idiotic and not. It might not be noble or well paying or even particularly stimulating, but it suffices as a stopgap.
To be sure there are those who see this job as more than a mere job and more like a calling. And though I find that on occasion I must question their sanity, over all I say more power to them.
However, this is not my calling. This is not the final stop for me on my way to the grave.
But damn if I'm not going to try to enjoy to bitter beauty of it all while I'm there.
And on what, pray tell, have I been reflecting?
Those who succumb to the allure of minimal responsibility, the lack of a suit or business attire, and the chance to get an additional discount on books; in short, I have been reflecting on those in my "profession".
What prompts someone to take a job in customer service? Surely it's not someone who declares themselves a people person; about five minutes in the Store will cure you of that ill. And since I find myself surrounded by a good portion of college educated individuals, I know it's not just because they couldn't necessarily find something else. And since we sell books and not something like shoes, I know that the majority of my compatriots have not yet reached the point of being utterly and completely destroyed in both mind and soul that they just no longer care.
So what is it?
For a good number of us I think this job is a placeholder. Not quite sure which path our lives should take, we take the path of least resistance for the time being. Rather than lose our minds and souls behind a desk for a year or so whilst we try to suss out our futures, we haul piles of books - both crappy and not - and assist customers - both idiotic and not. It might not be noble or well paying or even particularly stimulating, but it suffices as a stopgap.
To be sure there are those who see this job as more than a mere job and more like a calling. And though I find that on occasion I must question their sanity, over all I say more power to them.
However, this is not my calling. This is not the final stop for me on my way to the grave.
But damn if I'm not going to try to enjoy to bitter beauty of it all while I'm there.
