Relaxed Work

I woke up slightly later than on an average weekday; I would have been already on the road to work if it were a weekday. Instead I chose to entertain my craving to hear stories by reading and listening to The Moth podcast. I continue my leisurely morning with a hot shower and a much needed shave followed by brown sugar oatmeal and milky hot chocolate. 

I finally hit the road to drive into work without the usual high school morning traffic, nothing to worry about, and the most desired parking spaces are gloriously free. Immediately I can tell it's the weekend as I was greeted by, not one, but two enthusiastic "Good Morning"s from the security guards whom are there 24/7.

I walk through dark halls lit by few random lights in jeans which I never done before. It's strange not being able to see the proudly displayed banner for the excellent work that has been done over the years. The comfort of jeans seems overrated at this moment as I remembered that causal dress code was one of the benefits of being an engineer. As I walk though the sea of cubicles to mine; I once again see that my individual cube is the only one lit up by one of the few random lights that is on constantly. Sometimes I wonder if it was done purpose to reenforce that fact I am young and I should be constantly working. 

The sight of computer displays in the dark is strangely gratifying. Working in a lit cube surrounded by darkness is refreshing and I take a few seconds to reminisce about my days working late nights/mornings at UConn in rooms where the lights are activated by motion sensors; you know you would be hard at work when those lights would turn off. There is absolutely no foot traffic and no conversations that usually fill the air. It's so shockingly unusual that I force myself to wear my Audio Technica M50s and listen to Kanye West. There is no doubt that if someone entered the vicinity of my cube, I would not have known and if they entered the cube, I would have been startled enough to soil my pants. With no interruptions, I'm focused on my task like a cat on a laser pointer.

Only when you are alone do you realize how much people change the atmosphere. It’s like walking through an empty high school; the entire meaning of the building is nearly non-existent. The different characters play a part of adding substance to the workplace/building. That sense of solitude that comes with occupying a desolate area makes you feel more alive than ever.