The more things change...

Well, it's almost a week after we got the news at work, and lots of changes have been happening.  People being PEOPLE, have been reacting in some very predictable ways.

We have various "bands" of reactions all clustered around the Grieve Cycle.  We have those that are still mourning, probably in shock of the news, these people are saddened beyond words and are dealing with everything in a way that's just barely above crying in a corner.

We have those that are in denial Still (count me among those for the first few days) we probably clustered around the idea that it wouldn't touch us if anything happened and even that wasn't totally true, but at lease the belief that the first wave was ANYONE but us.

Those that are bargaining?  There's a lot of people trying to prove their uniqueness at the moment, and they are chasing the idea that if they do things well enough they can probably get "off the list".

Then, the weird ones but we couldn't leave them out, are the people that just jump into ANGER out of the blue.  They were ok minutes ago, but the moment they figured that someone else was SAFE, they shot to total denial and ager.

Quite expected really.

Last Friday, while I was thinking about this I received the news that someone very close to my family, who's trying to make a better life for her and her family was mugged.  They weren't even civil about it "cough up the money while we beat the sense out of you".

Poor girl, she was just waiting for the weekend to leave the "not so nice" neighbourhood for a better one where her kids wouldn't be in danger, or her family would be mugged, or even the break-ins would stop.

Why is it that people tend to not want others to do better?  Why is it that they take pride in ensuring that if WE aren't on a path of betterment, NO one should be?

I am sad that this happened to my friend, but I am far more concerned about the fact that civilised workers, in a very clean environment, wholesome and nurturing, would react the same way as random street scum when cornered.

Ch... Ch... Changes....

 

As a few of my close friends know (and some people that don't even like me but HAVE to deal with me daily, but that's another story) I do various things as a therapy, you know to release stress...

Writing is high on my list of those, lately running is another one, but it's late, I'm tired and right now it's also raining, so WRITING it is.

I'm a workaholic, I love my job I love my people (coworkers) and I love my industry, but I've found out that sometimes this is a codependent relationship and this is one of the times where it's not. At the place I've been working for close to a decade now, a series of changes are coming, these are all good BUSINESS changes, but do wreak havoc on some select individuals, and you know it's hard to come to terms with some of these decisions, as obviously they tend to affect people more than they do the business.

We have been recently informed that a lot of us will be re-located or released due to a change in the company structure where our positions have been removed from our current work location, and they will not be filled in my area anymore.

You know how there's always that girlfriend that tells you "it's not you, it's me... I really want to find something different in my life" and leaves you for a the weird guy at the bus stop? Even though you've cared for her and been more than supporting even in her "down" times? This kind of feels like that... At times...

Businesses thrive not ON people but on the bottom line. But they thrive THANKS to people, the links between friends, the joy of a Job well done, Loving when a plan comes together... and we can't help but attach feelings to everything we've done for the "company".

I'm happy that I am in a position to help others still, my job right now hasn't changed much, I still have to deliver results, aid my team, and provide assistance to those we are letting go. These are things that I find wonderful and fulfilling, and until the day I am told "Thanks bud, but you can't really come here anymore, this is not your job", I will keep doing it.

Until that happens, You'll be able to find me when you look closely, as you know, Hobbits never really left the world, we just adapted ;)

Playing games VS telling a Story

So, I had this conversation today with a really good friend.  It all stemmed from him saying WoW destroyed how he likes to play games.  It simply "ruined" the whole way in which Warcraft Games are presented and he does not like it anymore.

The online aspect of it ruined the whole series for him as things "never change".  It totally dislodged the "reality" of WoW from the "living environment" of Warcraft. Things you do "in game" don't affect anything" wether you do them or not, someone else definitely will and this makes whatever actions you chose to take; non transcending.

So we sat down an chatted about it, and I figured out the series of issues presented:

1. WoW and other MMORPGS take the decision making process out of the world, and you ARE on tracks wether you like it or not, you need to follow a line of actions.
2. Being on rails means NOTHING you do will be of importance, as it is predisposed.

Being who I am... I actually couldn't leave that just there...

And while I will not juxtapose this with human nature (fate vs free will), I will take it into what gaming aspects there are and how they affect us.

Some of us like to just "unplug and enjoy":

• This is the type of "gaming on rails" that people find amusing. You get up, you have a set of missions, you traverse those missions or adventures and they give you "rewards" through the way.
• While you find solace in the "continuity" you are stranded in someone's "reality" and can't really break away from their path
• Games like final fantasy fill this category

Some of us enjoy the "sandbox"

• We've created a world, while you will find pre-scripted adventures you can just go nuts and try and break it, it will still work out in the end.
• This type of gaming yields pleasure to those that find chaotic natures to be more appealing.  Your life is not totally pre-determined, you can chose not to take pre-disposed actions and they will still be "fun" you just won't progress where we believed you would, but "life is like that, no?"

And others, well some of us like to TELL the story

• You gave me a set of "rules".  I cannot escape these rules, but the world does not confine me, these rules while they cannot be broken they can be used to my advantage.
• "You had a story to tell?   that's nice kid, write a book, I'm here to see where my actions take me." This kind of mentality works very well to those of us who truly and deeply believe in free will.

Out of all of this I found that at different times, I am anywhere along the lines there, but mostly, I like telling stories.  I like being able to forget about where someone wishes to take me and making my own path.

Life therefore to me, is not limited by the whims of a "higher being" but by the ethical nature of my actions and the continuity I can give them.

My friend?  He draws his own path.  A predisposed story, is not where he wants to be.  Change, for him, comes from within.  And if his actions have NO sway in the nature of a game, he believes that it's not for him, the "meta" nature of this in his life, and how "FATE" holds no sway over him, does escape me though...