Wednesday 17 January 2007

Pic of the day: Visibly worn.

Short: Shoes and work

This pair of shoes is closing in on two years old. They are visibly worn, and lately I can also feel it. But they are still the most comfortable shoes I have. They may even be the most comfortable shoes I have ever had, although I had a favorite pair in my childhood that was pretty awesome too. I outgrew those, though, which I am unlikely to do with these.

Already last fall I went to the shop where I bought them (Løplabbet in Kristiansand) to get a new pair. But the young man who worked there did not think they had them. He did not even seem to recognize them, which is kind of hopeful. Perhaps he was new there (I had not seen him before) or perhaps he was just a temp. The woman of my own generation who sold me the shoes seemed very competent, though. She seemed like the kind of person who has the entire inventory in her head. Someone who puts part of her soul into the job. That's kind of terrifying but also very useful to customers. So I shall have to ask her again. But the shop is in a street I rarely visit, and the shoes have not quite fallen apart yet.

I wonder if I too would have put my soul into my work if I had honest work. I actually did that in the beginning, but then I realized that the true task of government bureaucracy is always to be suspicious. Think about it: Whether you apply for unemployment benefit, disability pension, tax deductions or a building permit: The one thing you will always be met with is suspicion. It could not be otherwise: If not, there would be no need for these people. You could just call in and report that you needed the money. Hey, we could just close down most public offices and put ATM machines on the street corners, then give each citizen a card that let them withdraw a generous amount each day if they felt they needed it. No questions asked. It is entirely possible that it would work. After all, we trust the people to elect our government. Why wouldn't we trust them with its money? But that's not how it works today. And that's why I am very happy to have found a niche job helping my coworkers with their software problems rather than clocking in 7 hours of suspicion each day. And I need not put my soul in it: My soul has already been there and done that. Identifying software problems is to me kinda like tying shoelaces: I don't really need to think to do it. Perhaps I couldn't even do it if I thought too much.