--Tock, The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
I do waste time. At least sometimes. But then I also often think that the times when I (or, more likely, others) say that I'm wasting time are perhaps, to me, the most non-wasteful times I spend. I don't consider blogging or reading or sleeping (within reason) or relaxing or thinking or any of a hundred other of my regular activities (I've left most of the nerdier ones, like studying languages, off the above list; I'll try to spare you as much as possible) a waste of time. What I do consider a waste of time is spending 8 hours a day sitting in front of a computer screen at a desk in a cubicle doing mostly-mindless data entry and evaluation of transcripts and test scores. Really, I suppose this activity is not a waste of time in that every month I receive a paycheck in compensation of all the time I've spent being mind-numbingly, stultifyingly bored during those four or so weeks, but that's small (though unfortunately necessary) justification for subjecting myself to this. This, I believe, is a waste of my time, a waste of what I've learned and done before this, a waste of all the potentialities within me. Which is why I'm quitting and going back to school in preparation to do something else-- something that I do believe is more worthwhile. And hopefully more challenging.
1 comment:
I'm adding a qualification to the above, in response to a gently remonstrative remark made in an email from my mother: Yes, in order for the university to run efficiently (or run at all-- I'm not sure how efficient OU is), it is necessary for "some poor soul" to "verify all the picky little details on applicant forms" (Mom's email, 23.07.2004). I'm not questioning that. I'm just saying it's not a good job for me. I could be better used doing other things-- things my co-workers here would no doubt consider excruciatingly dull.
Post a Comment