the time always comes

"I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Thursday, April 12, 2007

I just bought a record off ebay that I already own just to win the auction. I think I have a problem.

I have just gone from a warm fuzzy quasi-government job (which in actual fact, thanks to the Howard's IR butchery, is no safer than the next place) to a cut-throat, well-paid-but-one-false move-and-you're-out-with-no-notice environment where it is interesting and heartening to note that the law of the jungle has not produced Lord of the Flies contract staff all out to drag each other down, but rather a culture of contractors (traditional scum of the earth in Labour market folklore, and with good cause) banding together against their fat-cat, safe-jobbed boss. Perhaps a primitive survivalism and innate socialism modelled on classic unionism has managed to prevail despite attempts to root it out and/or argue that it goes against self-serving human nature. Perhaps, (and my heart smiles at this), it IS human nature to bond together where unreasonable contract terms give you no formal, organised way of doing this. It's a pleasant surprise. So far, anyway.

I have a long term creative project underway. It feels good. It keeps me going when aforementioned money-spinner rends my soul from my body.

I miss writing. I'm going to write here once a week. Regardless of whether I have anything to say when I set down at my computer. Suffer!

I am very sad that the prolific, iconic Kurt Vonnegut has died. He had a shite job just like me before he managed to pen about 50 texts in his lifetime, but was still human enough to ache. According to the BBC:

He likened himself to a flower, which having finished blooming, "has some sort of awareness of some purpose having been served".

Until of course, Bush came along and sent KV into a last flourish of righteous creativity in 2006.

I am going to go to bed now, as my dear young man is there (we promised ourselves an early night for once) and I am sitting up.

4 Comments:

Blogger Rowena said...

I was extremely sad to hear about Kurt Vonnegut's death too. Kilgore Trout, ice-nine, the Holiday Inn ... they all captured my imagination when I was in my late teens. I should go back and read him again; I'm sure I'd get more out his books now I'm older and (supposedly) wiser.

10:51 pm  
Blogger mskp said...

that's heartening to hear about the little congress of contractors. bless your cotton socks!

3:36 pm  
Blogger susanna said...

ro: i know, there's only a handful of those great 20th century writers left now. salinger's still with us though, isn't he?

mskp: i feel dismay at my contracting status. i would feel like a picket-line-crosser if there was still a picket line to cross. the only (hollow) satisfaction i get is knowing i can treat the organisation with the same cynical disdain with which it would treat me, given half the chance.

you can probably tell that, since last i wrote, i have had distinct misgivings. we shall see if these are borne out this week.

11:32 pm  
Blogger mskp said...

solidarity, sister!

contractors!

united!

will never be etc.

oh, and i sympathise on the ebayitis. i honestly thought i would be immune, but when i discover a bruce springsteen t-shirt from 1980, i lose my mental faculties.

ebay is the drug.

7:44 pm  

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