Michael Snoswell's Journal: And now, the end is near...

Well after 20+ years in the computer industry I thought I'd try something different. I've been a programmer, systems analyst, senior analyst, team leader, IT Manager, systems engineer, ran my own company, worked on defense, realtime stuff, commercial, games and a lot more. And ya know what? It's all just a bit passe now. I get paid a lot to hardly even think and the new compter stuff is all starting to look very much the same.

So my big move is to go into counselling. Yep - a major move. My latest (last!) computing job (at the second largest defense company in the world) is just rife with ppl who are fucked up, some just a little and some a whole lot. Now most of these people think they're fine and some are a little suspicious that maybe the world might be a better place if only they were a bit different. Take five minutes to talk to these people outside of techo stuff and they're either a mess, bitter, angry, sad, or just 100% stone walled away from their emotions. Not that I'll be able to do a whole lot to help but if I have to look into the eyes of a manager or engineer one more time and see such anguish and be expected to keep my mouth shut then I wouldn't be true to myself. There are a few who genuinely thrive in corporateville, but I'd say we're talking 20%.

So off I go back to study - first time in 17 or so years. The classes are packed with middle aged just-divorced women who have just realised living in cosy suburbia with a stressed hubby isn't what life is all about. And these women are *good* at seeing what's wrong, so they go to study to see what they can do about it. I feel like a very odd fish in that group, let me tell you! Maybe I wont end up rich (maybe I'll write a best selling book on why 9-5 corporate jobs suck life out of some ppl and not others) but I'll die a happy man in a long long time, rather than a stressed, repressed sod in 15 years.

[climbs off soapbox and looks at the crowd of disinterested people wandering past, sighs, walks off. Fade scene, roll credits]