Well. Today’s been mad so far. My boss at the worst of times becomes this high-maintenance, histrionic monster, and trust me, this morning’s been one of the worst of times. That he manages this from Brisbane is as good an argument as any against the unnecessary extravagance of business travel. I mean, he obviously doesn’t even need to be in the same state as someone to harass them efficiently.
This is the stupidest thing he asked me yesterday: he went to look round our new office (we’re moving) and he called me up and asked me if we would get much sun through our window in the morning. I mean, how am I supposed to know? I’m not a mariner! I don’t observe these things – I’m normal. And he’s like, “Which way is it facing?” What the hell?! I don’t even know which way my house faces! I’ve never needed to know astronomy before. If I want to go somewhere, I just get on the bus and it takes me there. I don’t even own a compass, and I’ve never been a boy scout.
So, I had about two seconds to figure out how to answer his question without sounding exasperated or patronising. I mean, think about it, how would you? It’s genuinely difficult. In the end I borrowed the voice my mother uses when she’s talking to young children. THANK GOD he didn’t ask me to follow up. It’s about the only thought he had all day that he didn’t ask me to follow up on.
My boss has a fear of the unknown. He fears anything being unplanned when he could get me to run around checking it out for him. Actually, a lot of people must dislike spontaneity. Have you ever noticed how so many things demand long-term commitment from people? My company is sending us e-mails about salary packaging at the moment, and it’s like, ‘you can review this after one year’. I put off getting broadband for ages because they wanted a year’s commitment from you. The only reason I agreed in the end is because I’m so desperate to work from bed – sorry, home (see previous post). And the commitment to the phone line is two years. TWO YEARS. How do I know what I’ll want in a year or so from now? It’s a long time. I could move house, or go to live overseas. I could be unemployed, or have joined an isolationist cult and therefore not need a home phone line. Why is it, other people seem so happy to sign away huge chunks of their lives? (Though I hope two years doesn’t turn out to be a big chunk of my life – we’ll have to wait and see.) And people who have kids – don’t they mind that they WILL still be plugging away in the rat race, paying off their children’s bills, twenty years from now? I mean, my life will probably still be boring in twenty years’ time, but at least it’s not guaranteed.
My mother used to say - cue martyred voice - “Of course parents want to do things like that – but they make the sacrifice for their children!” I’m beginning to think that’s a pile of crap. I think many people are genuinely happy to have dull lives.
Did I mention...I am going to see the Paris Opera Ballet again tomorrow! This time in Jewels. I've been too busy at work to get excited, though.
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