Search This Blog

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Sharktank Redemption

Red: [narrating] "These walls are funny. First you hate ‘em, then you get used to ‘em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized."

"Forty years I been asking permission to piss. I can't squeeze a drop without say-so."

-Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding


I watched Shawshank Redemption for the 16th time the other night and it made me quite sad to think about the many days I have spent behind a desk, in a cubicle, working for someone else. I have spent about 31 years x 50 weeks a year x 40 hours a week in a cardboard box, behind a desk that didn't belong to me. 31 years doing my best most vibrant work for some f#ck-stick big corporation that just thanklessly swallowed me up and asked for more.

62,000 hours of my life that I didn't spend with my kids or friends or traveling, reading, dancing or doing things that I really wanted to do.

Now I have my own business and I shuffle to my computer every morning and sit down in front of it and create stuff. Yet I don't seem to be able to give myself permission to go grocery shopping, take a bath, go to the gym, walk the dog around the block or squeeze a drop during "normal working hours."

That’s institutionalized, isn't it?

Guess I better shake that cubicle mindset and get busy living... or get busy faxing.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's your time now - use it the way YOU want to. Whatever you have done, we are very proud of you.

Anonymous said...

nah - it's anonymous, remember???

just jamie said...

um. wow. even i'm not entirely sure who anonymous is. truly.

however, miss institutionalized: i disagree. you are the free spirit, the wandering soul, the inspiring sojourner so many aspire to be.

keep going. keep traveling on *your* road. just be sure you wear a seatbelt please.