Idle thoughts - the balance in life.

Speaking of sleep and the lack there of -

I remember when I was just starting out, working as a co-ordinator in a conferencing company. We used to organise all the IT/Tech seminars - my then-boss had the tech market cornered. I remember when IE was first launched in SG. I remember doing the MS Developer Conferences. I remember doing SAP's Sapphire conference in HK. I even remember doing those dubious half-day free seminars with el-cheapo stick-it notes given as freebies for Compaq & HP and others. Holy crap. Yes, children, I used to pull all-nighters with ease. I even had an overnight bag in the office because I did it so regularly. I have memories, even though this was 10 years ago.

As the years passed on, the responsibilities changed. But even when I started managing my own teams at work, I'd still pull the occasional all-nighter. Different reasons, but same effect.

Tiredness. Bone-weary tiredness. Mind-numbing, frustratingly cynical tiredness. Tiredness that comes with the realisation that no matter how hard you work, no matter how much you bust your ass, no matter how much you try, the circle will never end.

Ack. I am once again reminded of my incipient dotage. And of the need to strike a balance. You work REALLY hard, get a decent wage, but have all the health hazards of a city life and the accompanying physical stress factors. How much money will happiness buy you when your health slips away before your eyes? I know what THAT is like. And how precious it is to have back.

So when does one get to have a life? When you take a rain check on all that damned yuppiness, in-office politics, overlord corporate entities and take up a brain-numbingly boring job which sees a 60% wage cut? Yes, when the end result is that you feel free .

There's a lot of us out there. We want out of the rat race. Is there a segment of Singaporeans who don't give a shit about the governmental propaganda and just want to take the road yes travelled? I believe there is.


I have hope.