Month: April 2016

I’m Marching In

Not the most memorable Seinfeld quote, but who can’t give a little chuckle at the thought of Elaine telling Jerry “I’m marching in”

Elaine: Well, guess what I’m doing. I’m going to Mr.Pitt’s, and I am telling him that I am quitting.

Jerry:  So that’s it? You know, I never even met the guy.
Elaine:  I’ve had enough. I am marching in.
Jerry:  You’re marching in?
Elaine:  I’m marching

Jerry:  Hey, Elaine’s quitting.
George:  Really?
Elaine:  I’m marching in.
George:  Huh. I’ve done the march in. Best feeling in the world.
Jerry:  How about the march out?
George:  Not as good. You realize all the money you’re losing.

 

I am feeling a bit nervous.  It has been nearly 10 years I have been at this job.  I am sure people think I am a lifer at this point.  But change is good.

Today is my day. I’m marching in!

The Plan

A plan is needed to exit the cube.

Here are some things we are hoping to gain from exiting the cube:

  • Free time
  • Exercise and daily activity
  • Travel
  • Mental clarity

Of course the biggest issue is… once we exit the cube, the corporate paychecks will go away as well.  A low cost lifestyle is needed here.  When we looked at where our money was going, a lot of it was going into the house.  Not only the mortgage payment, but taxes, insurance, HOA fees, home repairs (this is a big one), maintenance, upgrades.  Owning a home cost a lot of money!  We immediately thought of getting rid of the house and living a mobile lifestyle.  How much can it cost to live in an RV? Eliminate the house and you eliminate the need for big corporate paychecks right??  Well that is a nice thought, but not exactly true.

But the mobile lifestyle is very appealing to us and would allow us to see different places, have adventures, and do some of our favorite outdoor activities, hiking and biking.  We are not getting any younger and we feel like we want to have adventures while we are healthy enough to do so.  More and more people we know are getting awful things like cancer.  This just makes me think, what if that happens to me?  Quick – do something before it is too late!

 

The Cube

The Cube.  What does that mean?  Anyone who works in an office knows what I mean.  Even though physically, the cube has changed over the years.   Some organizations have gone to the open workspace model where there are no walls.  People work side by side, no privacy whatsoever, conference calls and all.  Offices that still have some kind of temporary walls have shrunk the size of the cubes to fit more workers into one space or lowered the walls of the cubes so everyone can see everyone, and of course the boss can see everyone.  Some cubes have only three walls because they are as narrow as a doorway, and you have to get out of your chair some way.

What does the cube represent?  Different things to different people.  When I was in college, being in a cube was my goal.  Graduate and get a job in a cube.  I was so excited to have my very own cube.  It represented owning a position in the white collar workforce.  It represented money, respect.  Fast forward 25 years, now for me the cube represents obesity, exhaustion, bad health, inactivity, bad indoor air, and trapped people.  We have some different words for it like veal pen, prison.  We see that sitting is the new smoking, killing people.  The modern office is like the coal mines of the 19th century.  People are knowingly damaging their health in the name of money to support their families.

As we get older and more experienced in life, our ideas change.  Many people change sides as they get more and more firsthand knowledge and take in all facets of a subject.  There are many animal advocates that made their living treating animals badly on a farm in a previous life.

In my wise old age… I have decided to exit the cube.  More to come.