The Age of Contempt
We go through a lot of temps where I work, but one recently came through that really caught my attention. From the very first encounter I was instantly irritated by him. Normally, I’m a pretty open hearted guy, so what was it about this creature that bothered me so? Then it occurred to me: He reminded me of myself a long, long time ago.
The never-ending yammering, the optimistic world view, the overconfidence, and the unfocused energetic ethusiasm… Yep… That was me, and people hated me for it.
As the years droned on, I became more cynical, my body has become tired and worn out, I don’t talk nearly as much as I used to, and people tend to be a lot nicer to me now that I’ve mellowed out.
Meeting my youthful doppleganger was painful because it brought forth a the memories of myself as well as the memories of the unpleasant consequences I faced.
But maybe I should look at this from a different perspective. The world wasn’t quite ready for me back then. Maybe this time it’s more ready for me now.
Pax,
-f2x
