Workplace Worm
You must understand Workplace Worm. I love this little guy.
* Is he a symbol of modern-day malaise?
* Does he represent the daily dread of soul-swallowing Corporate America?
* Perhaps he’s frustrated that he has a sweet little briefcase and yet no arms to carry it.
Hard to say.
I find it best to ponder Workplace Worm at least once a month, brooding over his fate. Maybe he abandoned his dream of researching medieval love sonnets to become an accountant. Or perhaps years of steady disappointment have left him haggard and anxiety-ridden. Maybe he collects stamps.
I have thought to buy this painting and use it as a self-recognition mirror: if I look up from my flickering monitor and catch Workplace Worm’s gaze and think, “Right on, my brother,” it would be a tell-tale sign to re-evaluate my current employment.
I visit Joe Sayer’s website regularly to check on Workplace Worm. Usually, I copy the link and send it to my coworker friend, Sam.
Sam is awesome - a sparkling treasure of wit, goofiness, earnestness, and integrity that I love. He does a GREAT job (which is a must in any coworker friendship with me…I don’t do well with mediocre) and sometimes I get up to go bother him just because three hours have passed and I haven’t had justifiable reason to harass him. Sam reminds me a great deal of my brother Matt, whose amazing presence I constantly miss. (Matt’s not dead; he just lives in Chicago.)
When I send Sam the Workplace Worm link, I do so without any other context, no other words. The message is implied: it’s time once again to visit Workplace Worm.
Each time I visit Joe Sayer’s website, I dread the day when I see under Workplace Worm the words in red: SOLD.
But I decided I could only afford one of those beautiful paintings and opted for a more cheerful image: Twelve Guys. Such an emotional contrast to Workplace Worm. I regularly ponder Twelve Guys as well, wondering who they are, why they’re together, and usually I end up grinning. Twelve Guys hangs in my cubicle and I smile at it every day. Yo, Happy Cloud!
And yet, I can’t resist the allure of Workplace Worm.
After a work meeting today, I told Sam that I’m leaving our place of employment. After nine years, I’m getting ready to take off. At last, I looked in the mirror and saw Workkplace Worm’s anxious face staring back at me, and knew it was time to leave. Sam was bummed. Then I was bummed.
Then he said, “Wait here.”
Sam scampered out of the conference room and returned a moment later with a cardboard box protecting several layers of bubble wrap. Inside…
…Workplace Worm.
Two months ago, Sam had bought the painting for me. He was waiting for the right time to present it.
While I’m goofy/excited to actually own Workplace Worm, tonight I’m actually more grateful to have had the chance to know Sam.