As I was washing my face yesterday before bed, I realized that I didn't see one person yesterday. As I walked my dog in the morning, I did see three people out for their morning walks to which we waved and said "good morning" to each other from across the street but that's the closest I was to them - 25' or so across the road. It's not like I laid all day on the couch watching TV. No, I went to work, I wished my mom a "happy birthday", I mowed the lawn and played ball with the dog - but all day long not one person looked me in the eye.
Does that seem odd to you? I mean nowadays people are so into their own thing that they often have their own music plugged into their head via headphones or are carrying on a conversation everywhere they go on their phone/bluetooth - so maybe my experience isn't even that odd.
It seems we need people to create the things we need/want/desire such as music or food or art or buildings, but otherwise we don't need people, do we? There's an old saying "no man is an island" but does that still apply today? We seem to becoming more and more isolated from each other as time goes on. My brother commented the other day that as he drove by his local highschool all the kids were walking down the road single file. Yes single file! Why? Because almost everyone had their head down and was either doing something on an iPod type device or texting someone - who knows - they were probably texting someone 10' behind them on the sidewalk! Do you remember when the majority of kids would leave school walking in big clumps? Groups of kids would walk together spilling onto lawns and on the road all so they could keep up with each other. Stragglers could be targets for teasing. But now, we don't have groups anymore.
And do people still go out for after work drinks? I've worked from home for so long I have no idea. I see my co-workers in this province once a year - maybe. Back in the day, a group of us girls would all go take a coffee break toghether and have lunch together and then meet at the trendiest restaurants to have after work drinks. But everyone's so busy now and people don't drink and drive like they used to (thank goodness) and everything's more expensive so maybe that doesn't happen any more either.
So when you go to bed at night, count the number of people you looked in the eye that day - and tell me it's more than 5 at least, okay?
4 comments:
I'm in the same situation as you- working from home & never seeing people for real- some days I don't even leave the house- how sad is that?
Maybe we should start a club for people who work at home to meet after work? I feel like that The Oatmeal cartoon about working at home that was going around the internet- losing what little social ability I had and turning into a pile of drooling mush- lol- well maybe not that bad but yeah! Going grocery shopping is now like woohoo!! I get to go out! Sad but true- LOL!!
I guess the good side is you don't have people kissing your neck on the bus!
You're right - sometimes I only go past the end of my driveway to walk my dog. And when I've told 'others' that I haven't left my property in days, they tilt their heads and give me a worried look like they're thinking 'this crazy broad is agoraphobic!
I go for lunch with a couple of my co-workers, but nobody in my office goes out for drinks after work - everyone is in a race to get home. I know my friend Rachel (from a different company) is from New York and she said she doesn't understand why no one here does that anymore - it's almost mandatory where she's from.
Maybe with more and more people working from home, and/or contract work with no regular hours in an office has changed that socializing time.
I just feel pressed for time, mostly, so going out after work seems kind of like an imposition, when I think I've got "so much to do." I'm not sure if it's REAL or just my idea about the value of my time.
Did that make any sense at all?
Hey Carol - thanks for your comment too.
Yes, I have also wondered about my opinion of time, and question how much is false expectations.
Interesting that in other areas/offices they still do go out for drinks after work. Maybe I'll have to look into this some more.
And Cynthia's right - maybe we'll have to put together a little club for us WAH peoples!
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