|
(Ir)Responsible Experimentation This morning, I tried an experiment in two parts. I've only just become aware, in thinking about it, that it was comprised of two parts, but I'm fairly certain now that it was. In its conception, it was horrifically unprofessional, but it's ultimate effect was one of exceeding productivity. I'd wanted for some time to find out what would happen if I went to work stoned on a weekday. (I'd done this on weekends with unremarkable results; I'd wander across town into the mostly empty and darkened office, sit at my desk and float meditatively through whatever tasks I'd assigned myself.) So after ironing the white shirt I'd decided to wear (as well as performing all the usual morning preparations, skipping breakfast -- I MUST go to the grocery store), I picked up the pipe, struck a match and took a single, light hit deep into my lungs. I made sure the pipe was no longer lit and held the smoke for awhile, walking from the kitchen to the bathroom, where I laid the pipe on the counter, buttoned my crisply-ironed shirt over the t-shirt I'd earlier decided to wear underneath, and exhaled at the mirror. I immediately decided that my trousers wanted ironing, wanted a crease down the centre of the legs, and set about the task with landmark efficiency. With the ironed pants and shirt on, I looked in the mirror and felt myself compelled to do something I almost never do; I put on a tie. Slickly dressed, with the addition of my dark aviator glasses, I must say I looked pretty fine. My only miscalculation lay in my failure to remember that my car was parked on the side of the street from the night before, so I had to drive it to the office to return it to its proper place in the parking lot, but this merely meant I arrived on time. I was not so damaged as to warrant worry over my driving ability, and besides, the office is very nearby, so I just got to enjoy the wind through the windows and the music cranked from my stereo. On arriving at the office, I settled into my desk with a cup of coffee, feeling pretty mellow, but I was soon greatly distressed by the entropy which surrounded me. I was inspired to begin a massive cleanup process, which tossed huge amounts of paper and cardboard into the trash and recycling bins, replaced my monitor with a larger one (Now, I can see the screen without squinting or sitting too close! Not to worry, it's only a 17" model; the people who do lots of design work still get the larger models.), and restructured parts of my filing system. I was shocked at the vigor with which I attacked the task at hand. The difference around my work area is striking, but not nearly so much so as it will be if I continue this "Spring Cleaning" with anything approaching comparable force in the coming days. I'm not sure if it was the smoking, the coffee, the dressing-up, or some other indeterminate factor, but what began as a wildly irresponsible experiment led to one of the best work days I've had in a long time. Go figure. This behaviour, of course, comes in sharp contrast to the fuck-fest that seems to be going on in my life at the moment, but more on that later. I felt I should post an entry that didn't revolve around my sex life for a change. r
|