Being in the heart of conservative America and spending the majority of my time at work, I find myself to be somewhat alone. While I was working at the factory for my first few years I found myself being unusually introverted in subjects I feel strongly about. It may be hard to believe, but I don't like causing problems with those I have to be around. A little while back we hired a couple of new employees. They were "warned" about me by others at the plant, despite so few people there really knowing anything about me, even after working with me closely for 5 years. These new guys were surprised to find me to be a very helpful and reasonable person when they came onto my shift and had to ask me tons of questions (nature of the business-training never stops). Anyway, one day they invited me to lunch in the far-away break room. I happily accepted and started eating lunch with them everyday. It was so good to have a place to vent my frustrations and share my views with coworkers, even if they didn't agree. We took things away from each other. They had personal experiences I had only heard anecdotes about and which I found valuable and insightful. I had knowledge and information they were previously oblivious to. It was good.
A few months back my job duties changed dramatically and I was put into an office environment, which is due to last upwards of a year+. In my naivety I thought in a white collar environment I would find more people open to my views. The more I talk to my coworkers here the more I realize how alone I am. I'm not talking about disagreements, either. I'm talking about the inability to even discuss rationally positions. The few times I have expressed views (political/religious/environmental/etc.) they were met with blank stares, a fundamental disagreement, "polite" changing of the subject, etc. Discussion doesn't ensue*. Views aren't expressed and supported in any meaningful way. Views that are expressed are done so as if they are self-evident truths, not rational opinions.
So here I am, surrounded by people and all alone, feeling slightly crazy once again.
*I am not referring to my current coworkers who are from other countries. Usually they find American systems to be odd, fascinating or simply backwards. They are fun to talk to, but I don't work closely with them most of the time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Don't you know? You are not supposed to care about things! You are supposed to go to work, make your living, come home and entertain/soothe yourself until fatigue takes you away for 5-8 hours, at which point you rinse and repeat.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, and I feel your pain. I don't think we are in the same position; I stay home, after all, and can only pester people on facebook with my worries/cares/causes/solutions/etc. (That's a different kind of loneliness I won't go into here); but you come face to face with the blank stares and indifference, or worse. I am sorry. It's gotta suck to have to enter such an environment daily.
Just remember, though, that you are not alone. There are plenty others like you who care, who are progressive and open-minded.
And, you are not crazy. I can totally relate to the feeling of being crazy. We know we are "different"... are rarely allowed to forget that we are. And, that's ok. Change is never made by the flock. It takes a black sheep or two to shake things up. :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTo be more specific, he was asked innocuously how he was feeling. He recently injured himself in a rather odd way, but it caused back pain for which he is on meds. He was asked when he was going back to the doctor. Almost without missing a beat (and with an audience of our close group) he shot me a glance and said he wasn't going back to the doctor until "Dems pass universal healthcare because he thinks rich people should have to pay for everything." He thought it was funny, as did several others. I just sat there until I saw an opportunity to change the subject, which I did. Keep in mind this is a very intelligent person who believes wholeheartedly that people should willingly give, through the church, to provide healthcare to those who can't afford it.
ReplyDeleteI made an effort to bring up the topic to the guy next to me who looked at me like I had two heads when I said I think education and healthcare are the two most basic necessities for a functional and successful society. I might as well have told him I idolize Stalin. He muttered something about the 47 million uninsured number being wrong, personal responsibility, etc., so I just pulled back and went about my work.
Ugh. I have been in those situations. At a party once, full of conservatives during the 2000 election... friend spilled the beans to the whole damned room that I was a liberal... at which point they acted like I'd come from another planet. Whatever.
ReplyDeleteYes, we have no problem having our children educated in true socialist-fashion.. but health care? For everyone? That's just crazy...
The guy who thinks people should donate willingly through their churches is halfway on the right track. He's got down the part where people should take care of others in society, those not able (for whatever reason) to care for themselves. He's got the giving "willingly" part wrong: we should help the less fortunate.. unless we don't want to. In which case, screw the less fortunate!