Thoughts while sitting in a bus for 7 hours

Life sucks, a reality that has made itself known to me periodically. In this recent reminder, there seems to be no escaping this rut my career has gotten itself into for the past few months. I am beginning to get to the peak of my cyclical disdain for work, and this has dragged my life in general to the pits.

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As I’ve just a few days ago found a large chunk of time while sitting on a bus for 7 hours, I decided to conduct a closer analysis of my soon-to-be-doomed [knock on wood] career. I made a few simulations based on three particular scenarios. The first scenario involved maintaining the status quo, on the premise that my current job involves a cyclical pattern of success and failure. The second assumes that I resign and take another job (in more or less the same field) while the third has me quitting my job altogether and starting up my own business.

It may be of interest for you readers (it was for me) to note that a few other options, such as marrying into money, going back to the folks and sponging off them for years, and fulfilling my life-long dream of being a successful porn star, also popped up, but let’s limit these to the previous three to keep whatever semblance of rationality and sense within this post intact. I’ll get to those other options in future posts, definitely.

So okay, getting to the first option, maintaining the status quo and assuming that with a bit more perseverance and elbow grease, it all works out. Although this seems to be simple and reasonable enough, the fact that this cycle has been going on for the better part of the decade does not sit well with me. Also, such a sinusoidal pattern doesn’t seem to be taking me anywhere, the high points being tempered by the lows on an annual basis.

This is what’s (theoretically) going to happen: things start looking up for the remainder of the year and after all’s said and done, I come up with satisfactory results. But come evaluation time, that time of the year when bosses start to dig up dirt on you to justify the bare minimum increase for the next year, the office gods deem that the low periods deserve more weight that the highs, and I’m left grumbling at what crumbs they throw my way. Give this pattern another 5 years or so and you’ll find me a miserable man, always chasing that stupid rainbow’s end to strangle the life out of a leprechaun.

Obviously, that simulation doesn’t end well. Bit did the others fare any better?

On to the next scenario, and we find me lining up interviews and donning that tie and wing-tipped shoes. Wait, I suddenly realize that I don’t have either one. Hmm… well, let’s take time to assume that I went to a mall and got myself both items for use on these interviews… there, that’s better.

I got the job, and am now happily doodling away in my little cubicle and making sales calls to new clients and new companies. The pay’s a little better, the benefits nicer, and because I made sure that my next place of employment is in the city, the officemates are infinitely hotter. Sounds like heaven, right? So one year then another passes by, and suddenly I find myself getting sick of the office, hating my clients and no longer interested in the hotties at the office.

Ahem… back up, maybe I’d still be interested in the hotties. No, I’m sure I’d still be interested. I’d bet my left nut I’d still be interested. Throw in the other nut as well. Let’s scratch that bit about not liking the hotties altogether.

Anyway, besides the chicks at the office who loves to show off their cleavages and makes sure everyone knows that they just waxed their legs, I find myself in a familiar situation, a miserable idiot who does nothing but chase skirts and sales day after day for an eternity.

Now on to the last one, I quit my job. Hooray! Then just as sudden as my decision to quit, I remember that I don’t have a cent in savings and haven’t a clue how to start a business, even less in running one. Crud.

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Now, obviously the second scenario seems to be the best one at least in the short term. But that is exactly what’s wrong with my analysis, I was only looking for instant gratification. (Kinda like all men in general, I guess) If I wanted to get a clearer picture of what I really wanted to do with my career (and life in general), I have to think further ahead in the future.

The truth is, all three scenarios represent what I want out of my career. To start off with one company and learn as much as I contribute, then move to another one to expose myself to a broader perspective of running a business as well as gain a bit more monetary compensation in the mid-term for future investments. Then finally, armed with what I’ve learned and the few investments I’ve made, start up a business, first concurrently with my job, then devoting myself to it full-time if it shows true promise.

I was going to expound on this train of thought, maybe come up with an action plan of some type and design a structure into my daily routine to cultivate it, before something happened. A hot chick happened to hop on the bus and sit beside me. Suddenly my mind wandered off to thoughts of being a famous porn star with money to burn and a harem waiting for me when (and if) I came home to my multi-million dollar beach-front mansion. Life was good again.

The bus then made a final stop, and I was back to reality. Damn.