The Great Melt has happened. This time last week, we were snow-covered; now, we are not. Walk without fear of falling. People are winter scurrying. Groceries to buy movies to see and a long weekend. Winter has a distinct rhythm. Slow and deliberate are the paces. Hope springs as we search the winter sky. Things change.

I have been reflecting on work and home life. For many years, work has occupied the majority of my days. Work has its own society. You have your work friends. The structure of your work days is not governed by home life structures. Even work rewards are kitschy when evaluated by the outside. Work becomes its own comfort. Many folks do not know what they would do without the structure pace and environment of work. They are Masters Of Their Domain whereas at home they are a bit lost. Often retired people become depressed at the loss of their halcyon days at work.

Severance is an intriguing show I have been watching on Apple TV+. The premise is that on one floor of the Lumon building staff have an implant in their brain that causes them to not remember anything of their time on the job when they are home and nothing of home when they are in the office. One of their rewards for success is an Egg Party where they are served Deviled Eggs. In the first episode of season two, they watched a staff video on a three-lens rear projection television that was simplistic and yet inspired the viewers to attain further kudos from the bosses.

At the conclusion of last season on Severance three of the Lumon staff overrode the brain implant for a few minutes. One found she was part of the family who owns the business and the season ended with her warning the audience she was supposed to brag about Severance by yelling that they were not happy as ‘Inies’ and were tortured at work. Another of the enlightened ‘Inies’ found he was a frustrated painter and that the man he loved at work had a partner at home.

Work/Life Balance has always been hard. Where we are creating who we are. Vagaries are abundant in life. Life is messy. Facebook says it is Complicated.

The artificial hierarchy at work is difficult to replicate at home. Rewards are a bit simplistic at work. We become accustomed to them in our artificial fish bowl. We want the certificate…the gold watch.

The ground was soft as a sponge as the old man walked. There were no political parties or churches. No leader telling the woods what to do and when to do it. Time moves at its own pace. It does not consider the opinions of the audience.