6/5/06: Bleah

[davidlevine]

Word count: 784 | Since last entry: 409

I got absolutely pummeled at the day job today. Being in a separate user interface design group means I get to work on a lot of different projects, but it can sometimes create a slightly adversarial relationship with the developers. Today I really missed being part of the development team -- we did have our arguments, to be sure, but I had a better idea of what the issues were, and neither I nor the developers got blind-sided the way I did today. It wasn't too bad, really -- no hard feelings, but a very intense discussion.

I filled out one of those census forms the other day -- how many people live at this address, where do you work, how much do you make, how did you get to work last week. Boy, do I feel lucky. I own my home, I drive my own car, I work every week. This survey really made me think about just how much of a privilege those simple things are.

Meanwhile, in fictionland, I'm developing the setting and introducing the rather large cast. One recent volunteer to join the cast (you know who you are) hasn't appeared yet, but I'll find a way to fit him in soon. I'll get the plot rolling within another few hundred words, I hope.

Comments

[luna-the-cat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you know...

I own my own home, too. I drive my own car (and it's not a bad car, either, if not the height of fashion). I work full-time. It's a good job, even.

I have computers and geek toys to play with. I can drink as much coffee as I want. I can go out and buy food if I'm hungry. I can drink clean water from the tap.*

I can sit in a park just across the street, and not worry about muggers, thieves, rapists, or bombs. I am reasonably confident that my house will will be there when I get home, and all my belongings that should be in it will still be in it.

If anything happens to me, I know there are perfectly well stocked, functional hospitals a short drive down the road, and I don't have to prove I can pay before I get treated.

The extent of my worries today are that I am being too slow in completing some documentation, and I have been asked why I am not backing up a server which I never even knew existed until two hours ago.

I am also in the privileged few percent of the world population which is safe, fed, and able to make stable provision for the future.

Too many people forget just how many people there are, who are NOT in that privileged position. I'm not sure whether simply to be grateful, or depressed.

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*Having lived in a city with cholera, drinking clean water from the tap became quite wonderful in my mind.