I’m pretty over hearing people putting sh*t on 9-5ers.
How boring their lives must be. How much they must yearn for something different. How nothing could be more scary than a 9-5 existence[1].
There have been books written about this. Documentaries made of people with “interesting” (non 9-5) lives. Social movements created around non-conformity.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for non-conformity.
But not when it doesn’t pay homage to the fact that the very conformity of most of society is what allows you to be so non-conformist.
The hard-core traveller
Let’s take the hard core traveler.
Whenever I meet these people I try to ask why they travel. “It’s better than working 9-5!”.
Really?
That is your best answer?
The Extreme-Sports person
Or the individual into extreme-sports.
I remember watching a base jumping moving as part of the Banff Film Festival where the jumper was asked why he wasn’t afraid of jumping. He said base jumping just wasn’t scary.
Living a 9-5 existence in a normal job he said, now that was scary.
We’re all running from something
These people remind me of how really, everyone is running from something.
You might think people are brave, acting without cowardice.
But more likely that they are just afraid of something different to you.
Respect
Many 9-5ers totally love their jobs. These are the people who give a sh*t and work hard to keep the world turning.
Not only are they are solving climate change. Working for peace. Curing malaria.
They are also going on holiday, frequenting the bars that allow the travellers to keep travelling. And drinking the Red Bull that keeps the jumpers jumping.
My brother made a pretty interesting remark to me during the last federal election. He said that he respected Bob Brown.
I was surprised – I don’t think of my brother as either an environmentalist or left-wing.
When I asked why, he said – “it’s hard not to respect someone who has put in so many years of service to make Australia a better place”.
Now that is what I am talking about.
[1] They obviously haven’t been driving in Accra!
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