Flurries
Had to drive out to the western suburbs (Oak Brook) three days this week for work. I now understand why people complain about their jobs so much. If you have to drive anywhere from one to two hours per day in addition to working, you can’t get anything else done. You can’t write or run. Sitting in traffic doesn’t do you any good. Walking for fifteen minutes can clear your head.
Some of the people I talked to out there drove much farther than I did. They said they got used to it. If you collect enough podcasts and plug in your iPod to the car speakers, then maybe you don’t notice anything. I prefer to read, though. Several people agreed that they get more done on the train than they do in the office. What that says about offices is left as exercise for the reader.
Luckily I got along with the dude who drove me in every day.
Sitting in traffic reminded me of March of the Penguins. The penguins in the Antarctic stand for months without food or sunlight in order to protect their young. The process sucks for the penguins, but doesn’t kill enough of them off in order to force them to (a) change their ways or (b) go extinct. Many people put up with inconveniences like commuting. The inconveniences suck enough to make them complain, but not enough for them to change their ways. This is not a new idea, but it’s often said more bluntly.
Evolution is dumb. Persistent, but dumb.