Themes Gleaming Darkly Part 6 - Working 9 to 5
A running theme through the majority of my stories is how our jobs effect us. In some stories we read/watch/listen to, someone's profession is a bullet on their character bio. The handsome architect is seen at his drafting table once, but we don't get to see how being an architect changes how he views himself or his world.
In the way that each story in Futures Gleaming Darkly has a little piece of me in them, those that feature the protagonist's job draw from my own experiences.
In Shadow, we see Harvey and his passenger AI Shadow 7 during a shift as a waiter. I'm no stranger to restaurants. My mother owned one when I was growing up and I've worked at others, greeting, cooking, and bussing tables. Shadow is meant to give a glimpse, as many of you have experienced yourself, the ugly side of customer service. The watchful eye of Shadow 7 echoes my time at a call center where every breath was recorded. How does having to smile as people berate you change who you are?
We see hints of this in Selvesquest as well. Sylvia escapes to a world where she can do the job she wants, a baker, instead of the serving job she has in the real world.
In Bubble, I wanted to illustrate how jobs can make you feel like a hostage. I have experienced this at a time that I was working 60-70 hours a week to get by. My body was ragged and my mind was dark. As Adam does in the story, I reached out to one of my employers at the time. I was having suicidal thoughts. The idea of having a smile while I felt that way was unbearable. They wanted me to work my shift that day anyway. Aside from that, I knew I couldn't afford to miss the shift because there were bills to pay.
I am so incredibly lucky that this is not the case anymore. I love my job now and know that it is and will continue to be a career. I am valued and appreciated daily. It makes an entire world of difference when someone says thank you for your hard work and is willing to help you grow and succeed.
It seems impossible to divorce our notion of work and worth. The second thing anyone asks about you is what you do for a living. While we have all worked the jobs that we have had do, and maybe you still are, I hope that my stories give you a sense of empathy and the knowledge that you are not your job.
In the way that each story in Futures Gleaming Darkly has a little piece of me in them, those that feature the protagonist's job draw from my own experiences.
In Shadow, we see Harvey and his passenger AI Shadow 7 during a shift as a waiter. I'm no stranger to restaurants. My mother owned one when I was growing up and I've worked at others, greeting, cooking, and bussing tables. Shadow is meant to give a glimpse, as many of you have experienced yourself, the ugly side of customer service. The watchful eye of Shadow 7 echoes my time at a call center where every breath was recorded. How does having to smile as people berate you change who you are?
We see hints of this in Selvesquest as well. Sylvia escapes to a world where she can do the job she wants, a baker, instead of the serving job she has in the real world.
In Bubble, I wanted to illustrate how jobs can make you feel like a hostage. I have experienced this at a time that I was working 60-70 hours a week to get by. My body was ragged and my mind was dark. As Adam does in the story, I reached out to one of my employers at the time. I was having suicidal thoughts. The idea of having a smile while I felt that way was unbearable. They wanted me to work my shift that day anyway. Aside from that, I knew I couldn't afford to miss the shift because there were bills to pay.
I am so incredibly lucky that this is not the case anymore. I love my job now and know that it is and will continue to be a career. I am valued and appreciated daily. It makes an entire world of difference when someone says thank you for your hard work and is willing to help you grow and succeed.
It seems impossible to divorce our notion of work and worth. The second thing anyone asks about you is what you do for a living. While we have all worked the jobs that we have had do, and maybe you still are, I hope that my stories give you a sense of empathy and the knowledge that you are not your job.
No comments have been added yet.
Writing Sundries
A collection of my thoughts on writing, including descriptions of my own personal methods and advice for what helps me write.
- Clinton W. Waters's profile
- 52 followers
