Commuting. Pre-dawn commuting. These words are foreign to me, honestly.
Actors, by nature, are night dwellers. We go to work when most people are leaving their jobs, and when we finally say goodnight, the "milkman's on his way". So, this morning when I woke up at 430AM to drive Curren and his dad to the airport, I was not prepared for the phenomenon known as 6AM rush hour. I looked around me at the other people driving on the highway, and I did not see one smile. I didn't see anyone rocking out to a song on the radio, talking on the phone to a loved one... Seriously, folks? Do we as Americans have nothing better to do with our time than go to work before the sun rises? No wonder we die young. No wonder nothing gets done in a timely fashion in Washington; people are at lunch by 9 and taking an "afternoon" nap by 10. There is no give on the other end, either. Even thought their work day begins at the butt crack of dawn (or before!) they stay there until 5pm or later, only to arrive home at 630 or later (it takes that long to get home because nobody actually lives in or near DC; go google housing prices and you'll see why) and they go to bed a 830 in order to get their full 8 hours. What about family time? Game time? TV time? Bubble baths? Dinner?! Sheesh.
I think there should be a ban on the workday starting before 10, and lasting more than 6 hours, including a half hour for lunch and a half hour nap. Don't studies show that work productivity decreases after 5 or 6 hours? Studies also show that people who nap in the afternoon are healthier, happier, have lower blood pressure, cholesterol and are less likely to overeat. As a nation so completely obsessed with health and nutrition, it's amazing, to me, everything we do to counteract the good things we do for our bodies and lives by going to work from cantsee to stillcantsee for 8 or 10 hours, sitting behind a desk for most of that time, not napping... no thank you.
Now, I myself was once part of this heinous torture. When I was working at WorkHorse, dad and I got up stupid early to go to work. However, at least the sun was rising on our way to work. The people here are at work for 2 hours before the sun even starts hitting the snooze button. Here again, our workday ended at 3, whereas here, the workday still ends at 5! And people wonder why they're not happy or satisfied with their lives? Cello.
Now, I will say this; I'm sure, out of the hundreds, there are maybe 5 or so people who actually enjoy being a part of the rat race, maybe more. To those people I say, more power to you. To the people who don't enjoy it, see it as a form of torture, etc, I say... why?
See, I'm not against an early-ish workday to get out earlier in the afternoon. I'm not against traveling to get to work. I'm against the aforementioned topics if they make you miserable. If you hate it, stop it.
After all, "you can't take it with you".
8 comments:
Good observation. It's called Money, Power and Ego society teaches us that those are the things that are really more important than, say, family, health and happiness. It is nice to see someone your age recognizing this, maybe there is hope for the next generation.
sorry,that was me, DEB I forgot to sign my name.
No Deb, it's called capitalism, if you want socialism, go live in France with 15% unemployment and virtually no chance of ever becoming ndependent. And if that isn't good enough, go live in China where you haveno hope of every being anyone. "Dependence begets servitude" So I'd rather be someone who CHOOSES to go to work everyday to supprt their family, etc than a lazy complainer who thinks they somehow deserve something just because you exist.
There is no hope for our country if our younger generation thinks that a 4 hour work day will some how create a thriving society. Do you think this country was built on social welfare??? And hey, if those people don't go to work, who will pay for welfare for those that don't dso anything but have babies.
It's called winter. The days are shorter meaning the sun rises later and sets earlier leaving fewer hours of daylight in between. You should try the same drive in the summer when the days are long and the sun is in your eyes both ways.
But I find it interesting that you could conclude that the people you spent 2 hours with one day are horrible greedy workaholics who ignore their families and by extension their friends so they can drive to and from their jobs and accomplish nothing when they get there. To quote you...Seriously?
I imagine, after spending a half an hour on your blog site (which was recommended by a friend) that you live an idyllic life of leisure working when you want and when you don't. That someone must be paying your bills for you, because you aren't making enough in your acting job to do that. That somewhere between your naps and your work you're playing games, watcing tv and taking bubble baths. What have you accomplished.
Perhaps the people you encountered on your 2 hour trip weren't rocking out to your satisfaction or smiling as broadly as you would like because they were mentally organizing their day, listening to a book on tape, or quietly enjoying some music during their commute.
Perhaps these people aren't as miserable as you imagine. Perhaps they're just responsible adults doing what they must to support their families. Perhaps that's what you don't understand: responsibility.
wow, that was harsh. Unnecessarily so. This is obviously not a condemnation but a post about someone's observations that led to a serious of thoughts. It was not an observation leading to a condemnation based on generalization. Apparently you are too uptight to just let things go. This from someone who used to commute 1.5hrs one way for a few years in the Los Angeles area to prevent my pregnant wife from having to do it. Now I'm a stay at home dad with no commute except from the bed to whichever child is nearest. So just relax, and see things for what they are, and not as an attack against your ideals or person. Thoughts become ideas become words. Simple.
wow! Anonymous really needs to take a vacation from his dead-end, low-paying job. Or maybe he should just take a nap instead of attacking people that he doesn't know on line. Sucks, doesn't it?
You know anonymous, your defensiveness just comes across sounding either jealous or downright bitter which leads me to think you might happen to be one of those miserable over burdened people she is talking about. Although you would never admit it because you have to justify the trap of responsibilities you are in, resulting in your commute with sun in your eyes both ways. That suggests 12 hours from the time that you leave the house to the time that you return. If you enjoy that, then more power to you. But by your tone you resent it. Point Michelle was making was make a change if you aren't happy. If you can't do it now, make a plan to get there. I'm one of those people who also works 12-13 hours a day and I am hell bent on getting out of that trap. That trap I speak of is too much stuff (usually the bigger the better) which in turn creates too much responsibility, necessitating too much work, better known as the rat race. So get rid of some "stuff", literally or figuratively. That's what I plan to do. Most of us have far more than we need anyway. True responsibility is not having more than you can handle and that is exactly the position Michelle has put herself in and is why she can enjoy a bubble bath and most importantly... she is happy. Chances are when she has a family and others to look after she will still not take on more than she can handle because she reveres time to stop and smell the roses. After all, life is not supposed to be about surviving our responsibilities. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Best of luck to you and your commute. I hope you don't find yourself in regret for what you missed along the way.
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