Soul Sucking Workplaces

I don't know of any place that sucks the creativity out of me like my job. Every day I find my energy drained just walking in to the place. At night, when I am at home with my family, I have great ideas, solve problems and am generally a happy person. However, get me near work, and it's all over. And it's already been established at my job that mediocrity is not only acceptable, but encouraged.

There has to be a basis for this suckage. It can't be environment, because I can be creative and happy just about anywhere other than work. It has to be the way we are treated as employees, like we are the enemy. I don't know who started this crusade against employees, but in my experience it seems to have worsened in the past few years. We are treated by those rich bastards at the top like just another expense. If we all walked out on our job they would be totally screwed because there would not be anyone to do actual work. What they forget is that while they're having their meetings and golf games, the people getting the crap wages to do the crap work, to clean up the mess made by their brilliant ideas are working away to ensure they can continue to exist. People pour their souls into their work, only to be rewarded with a downsize when they can pay someone in India to do the same work for $1 an hour.

I'm really at my limit with this corruption. The entire system is oppressive and demeaning. There has to be a better way. At this point, I think I would rather mow lawns than put up with the drain on my psyche. Who knows, if my attitude continues to degrade at work, I may be forced into that career path. I remember that line from Good Will Hunting, when preppy rich boy tells him that after he graduates from Harvard, Will will be serving him fast food. To which Will replies, "Yeah, but at least I won't be unoriginal." I may be mowing lawns, but I'll be sane.

People escape the hell that is corporate America every day. What boggles my mind is that I escaped it once, only to come back to it. I understand now the money blinded me during a difficult time, but after having worked in an environment that was stimulating and free, I really realize how stifling it is. Maybe this experience has taught me that the grass is not greener on the other side. Most of my day is spent concentrating on how to get out, so I'm not very productive anyway. Which is okay, I suppose, because most of my coworkers are doing the same thing. We're all working away for that 3% raise next year anyway, so that health insurance costs can double and we actually take a 3% pay cut. The new math sucks.

Meanwhile, record profits are posted while costs are cut and jobs are sent to faraway countries. People are losing their homes and eating Ramen so that the rich bastards at the top can have even more money and congratulate themselves for increasing this year's growth. At some point, I have to believe that there will be an awakening, people will realize there is more to life than this, and everyone will just simplify and be happy. I'm so close to packing up and pitching a tent in the country that I hardly chuckle when I say it anymore.

Oh well, enough ranting. I have to go to bed. So I can get up and go to work tomorrow.