Honest conversations about the psychology of modern work culture
Before I wrote a single line of code, I was writing office birthday cards. “I wanted to chat about your retirement party,” Morgan said, her voice bright with enthusiasm. “The team thought it would be nice if I coordinated it, since I’m the new engineer.” Twenty-five years melted away. I was suddenly back at my first software …
At 2 AM last night, I was in bed, deep in the details of a hiking guide for a Japanese pilgrimage trail I’m not taking. I’d been clicking through the same pages for hours — trail maps, temple descriptions, ryokan recommendations — knowing full well I’m not going to Japan anytime soon. It isn’t the …
The Chief Technology Officer leaned back in his chair with corporate confidence. “Our technology is actually in great shape,” he said. From my seat across his glass-topped desk, I pulled up his company’s public-facing documentation — last updated in 2019, full of broken links and outdated processes. I slid my tablet toward him. His confident …
In the office parking lot, my colleague circled my ten-year-old Honda like it was a crime scene. “When are you finally going to upgrade?,” he asked, gesturing at his new BMW. I could have laughed. I could have shrugged. I could have pretended I hadn’t heard him. Instead, I looked him dead in the eye …
Two months. That’s all I have left before retirement. My office walls are slowly emptying. Awards. Project photographs. Memories stripped away, box by box. Each item feels like a piece of my identity being carefully dismantled. I’ve spent a lifetime building this version of myself. The successful professional. The reliable colleague. The one who could …
