Honest conversations about the psychology of modern work culture
I didn’t set out to become the office weirdo who ate lunch in their car, but corporate survival sometimes means finding a place to hide. A silver Honda became my lunchtime sanctuary in 2004, complete with crumbs between the seats and a view of the sprawling suburban office park. The decision stemmed from pure survival …
Work made me a better mother, though no one wanted to hear it. “Don’t you miss them terribly?” The question came from a colleague at a business lunch, her voice thick with judgment. I should have lied, should have manufactured the expected tears of maternal separation. A better mother would have, wouldn’t she? Instead, I …
A young mother sits across from me, dark circles betraying her exhaustion. She absently bounces an invisible baby—a muscle memory from months of soothing her colicky infant. Between halting descriptions of overwhelm and doubt, she asks the question I’ve learned to anticipate: “Do you have children?” The words hang in the air. A familiar tightening …
“Are you even listening to yourself right now?” my sister asked over the phone. I had just spent fifteen minutes ranting about my coworker who consistently missed deadlines, forcing me to pick up the slack. Again. “You’re the one who recommended this book,” I replied defensively. “I thought you’d want to hear how I’m applying …
By day 63, I was staring at my floss like it had personally betrayed me. Every night, without fail, I flossed. I ticked the box. I followed the habit loop James Clear described. And yet, at my next dental appointment, the hygienist still sighed that familiar sigh of disappointment—the one that makes me wonder if …
In 15 days, my office will collect my badge, disable my login credentials, and distribute the obligatory retirement cake. After 27 years climbing the technical ladder to become a Technical Architect Director, I’m walking away at 52 — decades before the traditional retirement age. My calendar, once packed with system deployments and architecture reviews, will …