the shift

I have not shifted so much in my whole personal life, as I had to do, in this one office. Let me explain. When I joined this company, we were a small bunch of 11 hardworking, enthusiastic youngsters. We had a huge expanse of grey-blue carpeting all to ourselves, and would happily rattle around there. Lots of windows, lots of light and fresh air.. we thrived on it.. makes us sound like a bunch of plants, don’t it?

Then we moved, literally across a plank, into the next building. By this time, we were a large bunch, getting larger by the day.. about 100 odd employees. Not bad, as things go. The office was nice and large, light colored walls, embossed pillars, etc. We sat at our desks, and became quite Dilbert-ish about our spaces.

Today, we walked across the gangplank yet again, back to our old building, but on the top floor. Not all of us, only a select few. Amidst the curiosity of what the new office is like, a general sadness fills us all. We are leaving behind close friends, whom we have shared our “goods and bads” with. People we have literally grown up with, in strange office parlance. We all promise to meet respective workmates for lunch” and “coffee breaks”.

Getting ready to move. All over, are stragglers, lugging accumulated junk across 7 floors..3 down one office, and 4 up again. There is a reluctance to leave the old, the friends, the light. It will take a day or two, for all residual scrap to be cleared away completely.

The office is gloomy. Dark wood, strange pink walls, the smell of fresh paint pervades the air. No natural light, no ventilation (except for the receptionist, who gets to have that prize). The power is off today, as finishing touches are being given, so no ac either. But they have shifted our machines, so we don’t have a choice but to follow. I can only hope I will loose a few pounds by sweating it out.

This must be what civilization is all about.