Two weeks ago I logged in thanking God it was Friday because I was so burnt out. Looking forward to sleeping in until 8 the next day and counting down the six more weeks until my three day weekend vacation to the mountains.
As soon as I was visible in the Teams chat, I received a call my my cell phone from the section leader asking me to return all of my remote desktop computer equipment as they had decided I was no longer needed. Why, do you ask? I had the audacity to question if a decision my direct lead made was ethical. (Fun fact: it wasn't. I'd turn them in, but I'd get sued for the NDA breach.)
The following Sunday I got COVID and am recovered now trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do. Single parent, kid's autistic, sometimes I think I am too. Decided to kill a couple of hours on my Friday night watching some old school office drone comfort food, Office Space.
And it hits me. We love this movie because it's pretty true to life. We all have a Bill Lumberg in our life. This whole sub is about revolting against our own person Initechs. So … I'm done.
Fuck my college education. It's bought me the health insurance to almost pay for the impending heart attack.
Fuck my car payment. I don't need something that big I'm going to be making payments on for the next 3 years.
Fuck my high rate rent. My kid homeschools. Where I live isn't that important.
I have savings. Not a ton. But enough for a bit. I'm going to get a part time job doing something fun (enough to cover my bills) and take some classes at the community college. Maybe learn to make candles, or get back into art. I was a pretty decent artist before I was convinced I needed to Do Something and Contribute to Society.
Fuck that. I need to do something to contribute to my self. Society has given me health problems, anxiety, and not enough time for the family members that are dying left and right or the kid who's growing up way to fucking fast.
I taught my son to answer “What do you want to be when you grow up?” With “Happy.” It's about goddamned time I took my own advice.
In the immortal words of Lawrence, “Fuck yeah.”