Change tends to come like punctuated equilibrium, like the plate tectonics in the planet’s crust. There is a long build up of pressure along fault lines and then wham: earthquake and tidal wave; the sphinx is looking at a new horizon. There is a long build up of pressure between human tribes and then wham: tool use explodes as the result of population pressure moving us into marginal realms of environmental occupation. Emergent agricultural and communicative technologies arise to allow the planet to tolerate six billion and counting (Malthus, you pessimist, fuck off). There is a long build up of pressure in your psyche (like the one that may have lead to your psyche), in your relationship, at your workplace, and then wham: motion (interesting that motion follows colon as a part of speech in this sentence – vowel movement).



In my case this pressure release feels like demotion. “Depending on how you see a thing the ship is free or it is sinking, depending on how you see a thing you cage your mind or you free it.” Deelite is the songs tress of this particular moment.

My boss wants my desk. It’s a nice desk, I picked it out and built it.

Mary Beth, “I was waiting for you to realize this on your own, but you are clearly as expendable as your desk.”

Angela, “You have got to be fucking kidding.”

Vanessa, “My boss took my flat screen monitor at my old job, that was the last fucking straw. I quit that day and I took the client with me, cause I fucking rock!”

Erica, “That has to really feel like a demotion.”

De – motion = motion in the wrong direction.

This is a repost – I posted it last week – deleted it – but am reposting it – edited for tone:
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Livin in the land of the New Age
Or: A hard day comes home to roost.

That will be the title of the book that will come of the past three years of my life. I just turned thirty-one – divide by three equals ten percent of my time on the planet as samurai in the service of this particular guy. I’ve worked for several guy’s with his name in my life, so time spent working under the abstract category of people with his name is actually much higher. I know you’re itching for the current conundrum so I’ll get to it quick, but before I do I want to point out that this is but one grain of straw in a spine-straining spire.

I have a desk.

It’s a nice desk.

I actually built the desk for Deby when we first hired her.

I picked it out, brought it back to the center, & I assembled it from a kit.

It took me two days.

When Ann took the admissions job and moved out of the administration we moved her upstairs with a new desk – which I also built.

Deby’s desk became my desk, we moved it downstairs, and she took Ann’s old desk.

I like my desk. It’s artsy, it’s ergonomic, I selected it & in a certain sense I built it, or really assembled it like the Lego kits of my childhood. It has a certain prestige sitting as it does with Deby’s desk in the administrative office – as I am first and foremost an administrator. Right. Future college graduates, if you work at a small school you may be asked to build your own desk.

The owner wants my desk.

I don’t know if he likes and envies the prestige of it. Maybe he likes its’ design and its’ position in the building. He wants to move me out into the store to seat me next to me the store clerk. Perhaps if I am seated higher than the clerk I will feel like the grocery store manager who can call out blue light specials on a whim. Bach Flower Essences now 30% off.

In Aikido when someone attacks you they teach you not to take it personally. The attacker just wants your space and the simplest response is to give it to him. The best way to give it to him is to remove your self from it. Simple. We are now accepting offers.