Friday, February 26, 2016

Pawned life

Frank Gehry, one of the most renowned contemporary architects, recently said in a press conference that "98 percent of modern buildings around the world are devoid of any respect for humanity."
He referred, in particular, those buildings of glass studded overnight if the world's major cities. In recent years, hundreds have sprung also suffocates us gaze giant cages, defying any trace of common sense or aesthetic criterion. There, behind these huge windows have their usual mysterious abode of those communities we call corporations. There bustle from morning until late evening thousands of people, docile and disciplined like robots. We see them sometimes on the street in expensive cars or a fast-food restaurant, always dapper, dressed in brand watches bright, constantly gesturing with hands-free to your ear. Always seem busy, tormented by thoughts though vital, confident, jovial, proud of their concerns. They give the feeling that they know everything, they answer to any question, that they master the universe. They are Guildsmen today those people align perfectly, like a conveyor belt, the mixer organizations as cold and impenetrable as the buildings where they spend their working time. And yet, beyond the smiling faces of these people seemingly always happy, hiding, often, unsuspected drama. Lives pledged, broken families, joys shattered, stress infernal, exhaustion, insomnia, panic attacks, depression deadly. However because of demands and pressures High-handed from this system, but also a desire reckless employees to reach as if in a short time, welfare supreme, absolute happiness. For some of them, unfortunately, enrolling in such a system was a sad experience, as proved the case that I selected from a long list as the novel "How to understand women".
In the corporate world speaks that such tragedies are happening more often, but the largest companies have set some draconian rules, whereby those who dare to disclose in the media such information can be Its ordeal am daily and shattered dreams. It agreed to tell me about the life he leads and which is not long ago her life because a woman is. About how much was alienated from everything that is alive and well and about her soul atrophied? She agreed to tell me all this, with one condition: not to reveal her identity. No last name or company name. The whole nightmare that she lived, her biggest fear is that could remain without a job. Because everything car, house, furniture and other essential accessories, is pledged to a bank.
dismissed without appeal and set, even to pay certain damage the company. And yet, despite these rules, I was able to talk to an employee of a big corporation.
"I know people are concerned that some strange beings. In fact that being? Rather like robots. And probably right to see it. I, for example, does not even remember the smell of grass or as is when you love. And do not even have time to feel that I miss all that. Why? Because I went into a kind of carousel infernal that it spins so fast, I do not have how to I find nothing around me. And no jumping, to me over there I have courage. I'm afraid I fall. I regret with all my heart up that I made 14 years ago. It is clear now that's me in real life somewhere else. Unfortunately, it's too late to keep looking ... " Sophia sits in front of me, sitting on a leather chair in her living giant. She hardly found time to visit it. For nearly seven years, she holds the position of PR manager in a telecommunications company and the deadline is tomorrow's working on a project for about two weeks. Now, however, enjoy the respite that sincerity. It's a long time since she had another conversation so open. After so many years had to play every day the same role of women tough, severe able to rein in communication with subordinates, especially with those chiefs men full of whims and airs, she did not think it would ever be someone able to tell her personal troubles. Is sitting lightly on the leather chair and answer me with a bitter smile to any question. She recently turned 45 years old. Keep still good, is always groomed, packed dressing has only clothing brands, use expensive cosmetics, taken only from Paris. But none of them sophisticated makeup can hide not wrinkles under the eyes and always look tired. It shows me some photos of student and I saw  there a beautiful girl, looking confident and radiant face, a smile full of hope and happiness. None of this is seeing her face now. It looks like a squeezed lemon trying to play your original form, so now it's just hollow. She looked sad and seemed surprised at these pictures, as it would no longer recognize it look bright there. "As the years have passed! I can not believe, though are pictures from another life."
Here in this huge living room, it looks like the home of a millionaire. On the opposite wall hangs a huge plasma TV, as a movie screen, equipped with all the programs and the world's most expensive home cinema system, which do not open but almost never. Opposite, you conspicuous elegant fireplace, glass, and stone, which Sophia says it's a very expensive and exclusive model, produced by a famous artist from France. "When you see a fireplace like that, you immediately think of those pictures from movies, nights that romantic winter spent in the arms of the boyfriend with a glass of wine in front. To me, it was not to be. Apart from that show nice and well warms my living room, I have not found any other use or meaning. " On another wall, rises up to the ceiling mahogany library, filled with books collection, Sophia hopes that they will someday read. Beyond the huge window in front of us, sees her yard with green grass impeccably cut in the middle of an alley with granite tiles, leading to the gate. The left side of the court, in a circular enclosure of multicolored planks, sit strung a few toys, a swing hanging from a tree branch and a red plastic slide. Later, near the fence, seen brick wall of the garage where the hosts a silver Toyota RAV4 Novo, brand-new. This house is in a residential area in the north of the city and was purchased in 2012. The ground floor has a living room with bar and kitchen, upstairs three large bedrooms and a work room, the woman often spends her nights trying to finish the tasks of the office. Everything is here, including car and house, with all its amenities, it has been bought with loans from banks and obtained an advance from the sale of an apartment. From her salary of nearly 140,000 dollars, more than half goes to the rates at banks, leading them to limit the rest of home maintenance, daily life and all sorts of taxes. "Do you understand now why can not just jump carousel that?" I say with some fear in her eyes. "My life is definitely pawned. That's the price you pay for living this so-called happy."
It all started with an interview at that time a little terrified. It was a nasty day of autumn, a day that I will never forget it. By then, after graduation, she had all sorts of jobs, the latter being a travel agent. Not earn much, but had a clean life and knew how to enjoy the simple things. She read a lot, even going to the theater once a week, did not escape any movie, listen to good music, have a boyfriend, she was always surrounded by I lived with my boyfriend and I started to kinda stuck in financial terms. He was the cameraman in a television not win very much. I could hardly cover current. Nor is the issue of holidays or other distractions. So I seriously put to work, to look for a job. And after several failed attempts, I got a call from a former colleague from the agency. She said that a large telecommunications company was about to open a branch in the city. And they need people that are recruiting. I went quickly there, I left a CV, and two days later I was invited to interview. I remember it was raining infernal and my only concern was not my shoes dirty. The interview was something terrible. I had the feeling that they are at a session of psychotherapy. I have been asked, among other things, how many children I have, if I have a boyfriend when I'm with him, like me I lived childhood, if I have a peaceful sleep, when dreaming sleep and other weird things that, frankly, I was scared. I walked away confused, do not even want to think about such a job. Yet, after another few days, when they called me again and told me that I was accepted, especially after they told me what position and what salary they give me, I accepted without flinching ".
friends, enjoy plenty of holidays, climb mountains, swim, play tennis. They were the most beautiful years, she felt free and fulfilled. She managed to buy an apartment, then a car second hand, planned to marry the one she loved for nearly five years, will desperate to have a baby and enjoy on the same things simple clean. Unfortunately, however, the travel agency where she worked went bankrupt, and it ruined her little plan. "
Since then, her life has changed. Easy, easy, and the lure of money a successful career and the twisted minds and changed landmarks and has altered tastes and overthrew all models to date. Rock music, she listened once so happy, with time become just "annoying noise" being replaced by Chill Out or CafĂ© del Mar and other delicacies from the current "meditation music". All models of its cultural up then there were just poor losers who chose to write and meditation philosophical just a lazy congenital, her only model becoming career women that "business woman" strong and independent encountered in movies dozen. Gradually adjusted their style and dress, gestures, language, beginning to speak more frequently, that stupid corporate language. Then, beginning to despise all those simple things that life flashed before. Instead of ordinary walks through a park, prefer a local house, where to debate, of course, just about money or her problems at the office. Instead of a weekend in the mountains, prefer a short shopping in Paris or Milan. Her old friends bored her, her life partner, one that once planned to marry, a rattle with his perseverance to bring it back down to earth. "Nothing was before. And that's because I was someone else. Who says corporate environment means brainwashing is absolutely right. If you are more infirm or very ambitious to get higher, you are lost. It seems that how I was. The relationship with my boyfriend I was in the lead. I would come home at night, late, and if you do not take some work from the office, I fell asleep on the sofa. I did not have common subjects, no longer had the same tastes and passions. All those things that before I liked him now annoy me terribly. And yet I did not want to split up, I was like afraid of that. I had but one head that I kept making eyes at. I help projects, I covered before other heads, I went with him to break "lunch". He was 45 years old as I am now. This guy, always in control, always dapper and gallant, a manager genuine. He had a family,  a beautiful wife, and a baby ten years. I do not really know why, but his presence fascinated me. It was for me a model of successful man. He had only one blemish: he was an incurable womanizer. But in my mind since then, even that was quality. I love it. Or, well, I thought so. In fact, it was just a chimera, a dull fascination to an imagined model." Sophia least stops, looks at me as if slightly embarrassed, and then tells a confessional tone:" I was his mistress for almost a year. And I was ashamed at all. In a corporation with many team-building and spent many hours overtime, these combinations are common. It is even encouraged this habit. That way, the desire to go home may decline to extinction. And a divorce, that disintegration of a family, bring big benefits to the company. An employee alone has no choice but to devote his life's job. now, because that way my boss had a mutual complicity. Yet, after almost a year, my boyfriend left me. I was alone and I was scared for the first time. Because of this, I tried to throw harder each other's arms, but my gesture angered him so bad, that at that moment he dumped me forever. I had back then already 35 years old and gave me a feeling that creeps if I stay single life. Only then I began to wake up to reality. Unfortunately, it was too late."
That's what happened with me. My friend suspected something, but I never admitted anything. I did not want to leave me just
Her hunch was correct: that day remained a single woman. It's only antidote was working to the satisfaction full of heads which have promoted a year later to the position of PR Manager. Work at a hellish pace, with a desperately sick day by day until late at night, as he was leaving office always the same fear to return back to its oppressive loneliness. Later it was thought that perhaps you should still change some of the decors. She bought this house and arranged it exactly the way she wanted, and chose furniture from magazines, filled the walls with expensive paintings, and took a beautiful and smart dog. Then it decided to adoption a child. "Every woman has some conditioning almost biological. She wants love, she wants a child, a family, like to cook from time to time, she wants to show her love. I never had indulgence that and I did not have much time wait. I thought to adoption a child. That came into my life five years ago, a little girl named Annie. For a time, the goal who tortured me was filled, and this life of mine received and a sense".

Sophia nevertheless continued to work the same crazy pace. She had no choice, dedication heads were used to them and increasingly demanding. The girl remained in the daily care of a nanny who was employed 12 hours a day. Sophia failed to see only in the evenings later when she slept. Because agitation and stress, was morning, made a stroke. Fortunately, no seriously. Doctors then recommended to get rid of stress, computer, pressure at work, out in nature as much as possible, eat healthily and sleep. Otherwise, things may get worse ugly. "Do you realize what that means? Let's keep the baby alone in the world, in a house that I would snatch a bank the day? Or to get a vegetable in a cart and witness how the finally my own and my child drama? " Sophia has no choice. All the company knows about its vascular accident, but nobody cares about that. I gave then a few days off over her medical leave and not much more. Today it works as much with the same pressure on the head with the same stress and the same nights of insomnia. Annie sees as a gift, and when they found still time for it, quickly losing its patience and sometimes even out of their senses and screamed at her. "I feel like a vise that I gather from all sides. Even on holiday, I can not feel liberated. I kept hoping these years that I will find eventually a life partner. Be with me and Annie, I feel defended, safe. When you meet such a man? In company are all like robots, each just for him, everyone lies in wait to foul another. By the way, you know that they invented a matrimonial agency for corporate? It's called "Umbrella for Two". Who could stay with me with so many problems? Who indulge me? Sometimes I look in the mirror and if I can not see anything feminine. In vain do I so makeup, nothing I arrange always hair, nothing wear dress shoes. After so many years managed a corporation, any woman becomes a man in a skirt. So I took my mind off a relationship. In fact, I took my thought everything. My only joy and fulfillment remained Annie. And all that waiting is the day that I could spend all my time with her. I mean all day release from this nightmare. "



foto credit: google.com

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