Work....who likes it.

Lovebitesandeveryfing said:
Did labouring jobs as a young man. Obviously, I knew it was only temporary. That changes everything. Worked in Longsight for a summer, believe it or not.
Once spent a summer working in a bread factory. The conditions were quite simply a sustained form of violence against the human body, and the human soul. That was an education in itself. Worked with a partner who barely spoke to me through the eight hour shifts (the noise was incredible, anyway, you had to virtually bellow to make yourself heard). He'd been there five years. I was just a tourist, passing through, he knew that, so he didn't respect me. I don't blame him. Maybe he hated me. I used to look at him and think, “You appear to be shackled to this”.
Later, worked in a small publishers, in promotions, out in Barking, Essex. It was ok, but I always saw myself moving on. Absolutely every last one of them was a Hammers fan, they used to give me a terrible ribbing when City had lost on the Monday mornings. A good bunch, by and large. I grew to hate the job after two years, mainly because of the managing director, who was a considerable dickhead. Think David Brent and you're not far off.
When I handed in my notice, I told one of the girls in the typing pool. I quite fancied her, and she was an intelligent girl — again, shackled in her own mind to a typewriter. She was seething with anger, because she could see no way out. Nineteen years old. Was always quite aggressive with me. Anyway, I told her, and I'll never forget the really deep melancholy in her voice as she said, without even looking at me, “Oh… I wish I could do that.”
It's getting on for fifty years on, but I to this day regret not sitting down and saying quietly and firmly to that girl (her name was Nicola), “For God's sake, Nicola. You're nineteen. Do not say to yourself, this is my only option. Take your life in hand. Move…”
It depresses to read some of the posts on here, because I understand them very well. I could have just stayed put. The money was shit at that publishers, but it was comfortable enough, in a soul destroying kind of way. Used to get up early on Saturday mornings to train up to Piccadilly on the football special (when there were such things). Back in the evening. That kept me going.
When I first saw The Office I couldn't really laugh. It was disturbing. It was too close to the bone. That could have been me, or not far off — not Brent, certainly not, but maybe Tim, maybe (horrors) Gareth! Maybe even Dawn. People hanging around, frittering their lives away, day after day, waiting for something to turn up. But it's not going to. And they're all kind of sad in their own way. It is truly pathetic how jubilant Tim is when he gets a tiny promotion, which is almost nothing more than changing his job title.
About ten years ago, I had a dream that I was back at that exact same place. I had found nothing better to with my life than go back there after all those years. They were all still there. They didn't seem in the least surprised to see me, some were even smirking, as if to say “You see? Haha, we knew you'd be back…!” The sense of relief when I woke up and realised it was only a dream cannot be exaggerated.
Anyway, I handed in my notice, and changed my life, radically. But that's another story.
Click to expand...
“Assistant to The Manager”
 
Lovebitesandeveryfing said:
Was that it? I couldn't quite remember. Do you remember how full of himself he suddenly is.
Truly pathetic.
Click to expand...
Think it’s when Gareth mentions being “Assistant Manager” and Brent interjects, “Assistant TO the Manager.”
Remember watching it for first time and wasn’t sure if it was real or not. It was so redolent of the office I used to work in.
Every line crafted to perfection; just my opinion but closed to being the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.
 
CarlosTevez'sEnglishTutor said:
It's a means to an end. Colleagues however, are just people you are forced to spend a lot of time with. Never cross the boundary of thinking they're your friends, they are not to be trusted.

Brits in the workplace will do anything and everything to one up each other for the next bonus or promotion.

I think it's a slippery slope wishing your life away for retirement. Especially at 30yo like me, it's a pipe dream. I know I'll never get to retirement in UK, so it'll be a move abroad for me where I can elongate my life and do more for my money. Every old boy I speak to would swap their life for mine in an instant, there's no substitution for youth.

I used to see a lad in his 70s most mornings walking down to the golf course. I'd be on the way back from the gym ready to start work at 7am, and I found myself feeling envious of this guy as I drove past. Taking a step back and realising he probably thinks the same of my life was the eye opener I needed.
Click to expand...

We all get older, well the lucky ones amongst us do, some sadly don't make it. When you do get older of course you wish you were as young and fit as you were at 35, regrettably that's not possible. That's the case whether you're working or not.

As for the workplace try to find a job you enjoy. Make it as much fun as possible as you will probably spend half your life there. If you're miserable while working you've spent half of your life miserable. Some people need the challenge, routine and company work brings. You often read of lottery winners going back to work because they miss it. Everybody is different.

Me I took early retirement seven years ago and don't regret it one bit. The freedom to do whatever you want when you want to is great. Nobody dictating your time, holidays etcetera. I do miss the banter and company of good workmates though. I don't miss the pressure, long hours and occasional bad management.

One important thing is to make sure you have decent money to enjoy your retirement. A private pension with a good savings pot makes all the difference.
 
johnnytapia said:
Think it’s when Gareth mentions being “Assistant Manager” and Brent interjects, “Assistant TO the Manager.”
Remember watching it for first time and wasn’t sure if it was real or not. It was so redolent of the office I used to work in.
Every line crafted to perfection; just my opinion but closed to being the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.
Click to expand...
Genuinely love the series and have watched it countless times, I even put it on last night and watched the special episode of when Brent returns, and Gareth is now General Manager.

Its so pathetic, similar to Alan Partridge, that you can't help but cringe and laugh at the same time.

Love stuff like that!
 
johnnytapia said:
Think it’s when Gareth mentions being “Assistant Manager” and Brent interjects, “Assistant TO the Manager.”
Remember watching it for first time and wasn’t sure if it was real or not. It was so redolent of the office I used to work in.
Every line crafted to perfection; just my opinion but closed to being the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.
Click to expand...

I thought it was Tim that got some vacuous promotion? It was striking, because he's presented as the kind-of o.k. guy, and suddenly he's this jumped-up dickhead.
And I've seen that. I've seen it in life.
Must be misremembering.
As I say, I couldn't laugh, except occasionally, when Brent really is being a fool (the dance routine!). I'm not even sure that we were supposed to laugh. I just looked on sombrely and said, “There but for the grace of God…”
 
Lovebitesandeveryfing said:
I thought it was Tim that got some vacuous promotion? It was striking, because he's presented as the kind-of o.k. guy, and suddenly he's this jumped-up dickhead.
And I've seen that. I've seen it in life.
Must be misremembering.
As I say, I couldn't laugh, except occasionally, when Brent really is being a fool (the dance routine!). I'm not even sure that we were supposed to laugh. I just looked on sombrely and said, “There but for the grace of God…”
Click to expand...
Tim was made head of sales I think from memory, and he always seemed to have this dream of leaving and fucking off elsewhere, but you just know that he's there for life!
 
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