Lines and barriers

I’ve often had conversations with people about the limits that should be drawn between the workplace and private life. Most people at the Company draw a very definite and careful line between work life and private life, something that had me confused. I had never worked at a place where that was necessary. On the contrary, for the longest time, my social circle and some of my dearest friends often came from my workplace. It seemed very normal to me.

At the Company, I met a sort of corporate culture that put a big barrier between the two. It had me puzzled. I tried to understand the need for it, the reasons behind it. And on a corporate level, I do understand. Well, I deliberately refuse to abide by that rule and as a result, out of my seven “best” friends, FOUR of them are from the Company. Ironically, they all apply that rule themselves and I’m sort of the exception for them, the rare colleague who’s become a real friend.

There is logic behind my rebellious attitude. We spend so much of our life at work that I cannot fathom keeping this huge part of my life in an anaesthetized vacuum of feelings and sympathies and being only fully myself outside of work. I WANT to enjoy work, to have fun, to like what I do. Is there a better way to achieve that but to have very dear people along for the ride? True, I cannot choose my co-workers. But do I want to have ties, and to relate deeply only with people I only see at night and during the weekend?

I don’t need to be told of the pitfalls of mixing the personal with the professional. I’m neither stupid nor naïve. Most of the time.

But I’ll tell you this: I had a day-long email dialogue today with one of the four, I had a wonderful lunch with the second and had a good laugh on the phone with the third and thus, I finish my day with a very full heart instead of feeling used, tired, irritated and frustrated, which seems to be the general mood on the train.

To your health, my friends!