On the Ant Hill

There's something about the American workplace that is mind boggling.

While set out to be a fairly public affair, the American workplace is rather private. Everyone is on a constant search to learn more about the deep lives of their co-workers. The more info you have, the more power you have. Then certain cliques arise and segregate the workforce in two or many groups. My advice, always side with the boss' clique.

We then feel the need to recall the days happenings to our friends, family members, and random people in yoga class. Think to your own job. Do your friends know which female you work with is the office slut? Or which one of your co-workers has the most problems at home? Does your significant other knows who annoys you the most at work?

Why do other people know this much about your work life?

Then there is the concept of workplace relationships. Some are not allowed, some must be reported to supervisors. People get married within the workplace, people get laid through the workplace. It would be foolish to consider sexual encounters in the workplace negligible.

The American workplace scene is indeed a big production put on by the actors (employees). Perhaps the biggest production of its time. This production has an award winning script which includes dramatic plot changes, forbidden love lives, and deep-seeded hatreds. And if that's not enough, this grand production always includes a various assortment of cast members, changing every so often.

The American workplace is a great movie.

For the employed population, workers can be sorted into many different sub-cultural categories. But at the end of the day (5PM, give or take a couple of minutes) our common sub-culture is the workplace.