American Work Culture

I know it has only been a week, but working in a corporation and experience corporate life gives me a whole new perspective on the American work culture.


Break-down: Wake-up early so you have time to eat, get dressed, and have enough time just in case you get caught in traffic. You sit at a desk all day inside. By the time you make it through traffic and get home you have very little time before you have to go to bed merely to do it all over again. Even if you didn't want your job to be your life. . . it kind of is. I mean, it's most of your day. 


I'm pretty lucky though, because EMI is such a nice company and such a nice place to be. I can't imagine what it's like for people who hate their jobs, or don't like their co-workers. I can't imagine how people have families. No wonder so many people in America aren't very healthy, and often get depressed - the work culture is so inflexible and sucks the life out of you. I think something about college that I took for granted - the fact that you have to walk everywhere. My job and my classes were all in one central location, and with my apartment about a mile away, that fifteen minute walk home was a chance to be outside, to move and to clear my head - an ideal way to finish off a day. 


I think about White Sulphur Springs, and the community there, and all the opportunities to be outside and the simple lifestyle. There's been a couple of times this week where I've thought about WSS, and the ache and the longing in my heart for that place is almost unbearable. I remember talking about this topic with my mentor from college, Brooke, and the advice she gave was very wise. She said my challenge would be to live like a White Sulphur Springs person in a place that is not White Sulphur Springs. The fact of the matter is that most of the world isn't like WSS, and we have to get jobs and God calls us to various things  - but to live intentionally. To be intentional about being healthy, about living in community, about being outside, and about living simply. It is not easy, that's for certain. 


On a bit lighter note, this past weekend I got to do some cool stuff. There's a country music duo, Joey & Rory (Joey is the girl and Rory is the guy). They're a married couple who live just a few miles down the road. Joey and her friend (maybe sister) Marcy own this tiny old-fashioned Southern mealhouse called Marcy Jo's. Every so often, when Joey & Rory are not on tour they do a special night at the restaurant and perform a bunch. So on Saturday night I went to that and it was pretty cool. Definitely a Southern culture immersion experience. What shocked me even more was when they walked on stage and I realized that the nice, pretty lady who had been pouring my water all throughout dinner was actually Joey, the singer! After that, we went to the neighbors house to play Settlers of Catan. Guy & Tracy are a super cute couple (Guy was the drummer for, I wanna say the band Fusebox, but don't quote me on that. . . ) and they've got two daughters, Catie (short for Cadence) and Zoe. I didn't win, but hey, I understand the game now and they all agreed to be on their best behavior and not get too competitive since it was only my first time playing. 


Yesterday I went back to Christ Community Church, and the lead guitarist from Petra was sitting in front of me. He still has his long hair too. I went to the college/career Sunday school class for the first time and I'm glad I did - it was good to meet some people a little closer to my age. LoL. The class is being co-taught, and one of the guys teaching, Steve, was the producer of the Dove Awards for nine years, though he hasn't done it for the past two years. Went to small group with Dave & Bev that night, which was taught by a guy named Ron who is the banjo player for Allison Krauss (oh and on the way to these people's house, we totally passed the place where Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus live. I didn't actually see the house though because it was on the other side of the hill. They bought out this old school building and turned it into a recording studio just down the road). But anyways, this guy Ron totally blew me away and taught me sooo much! It was great.


Thanks so much to all of you reading my ramblings. It gives me a chance to unburden all my thoughts and I'm so glad to get to share it with you all.