The boredom of “I will”

The other day I was talking to an old friend who told me a story. I remembered that I already had heard this story hundreds of times. I held to that idea and found it funny as we all do tell the same story many times when we are in the intimacy of a good friendship, but sometimes it’s only a way to fill up an empty moment because nothing new has happened. Yes, this is more like it. While I was half listening already waiting for the climax of his tale, my mind started to search deeper in my little epiphany. Yes, people tell the same things when nothing happens or just keep on talking with many “if” or “I would do this” or even a “I would do that”.

How many times did I talk about this or that project and am still talking about it. Yes I confess, I do this once in a while. It’s both thrilling and scaring to actually do the things we want to do or actually walk the lines we dreamt of. But it feels good when they are done and, most of all, it makes you grow. Suddenly the story and our conversation ended as it was time for me to act. I excused myself and told him I had to get some groceries before the store would be overwhelmed by locals coming back from work. We set up a new meeting and went separate ways.

All year long I listened to “I will” followed by numerous requests and wishes. Only a few persons actually do something of it instead of repeating the same thing over and over to themselves. Few actually move to change their lives. Some actually do it quickly, most though slowly, but it still counts as a move.

I was decisive. No more of this “I’ll do this one day” or “I should do this again”. Resolute I walked into the store aiming for what I’ve been talking about for three or four years by now, a reminiscence of the past, but still a glorious one. I collected my things and went calmly but firmly to the cash register. I paid and went home smiling. I took the Laurent Perrier, Brut of course, and set it up over the chimney as it was the safest place to expose it at.

This is one of the best champagnes I know, mixing tradition and a strong enduring taste. I’ve been thinking of buying one for many years. Now here it was, waiting for the success that comes with it. And here it stands, looking forward to settle the score with the rest of my unfinished businesses.

Food supplies

France is funny: a good place to live, if you can afford it. Better food, better weather, nicer people... you know how it goes by now. But as I believe I have been hammering you with that fact, I can now talk about the other less pleasant parts of actually l i v i n g in France - they come with the package, and there is no way to escape from it!France is in the middle of the neo-crisis of which I’ll only talk about today - if you would make a comparison with for example the German economy there is one particular theme I am thinking of. Why is the German economy stable and the French one going under? As far as I see it, both countries have the same number of people living on the system (unemployed, longterm sickleaves, etc). In many cases many of them are making babies after babies while being long term unemployed nor do some of them have the wish to learn something, study or actually work - all this being financed by the German government. Claiming money because of social rights but forgetting that with rights duties also come. Employees work 35h in France and not 40h like in Germany. But we all do overtime to 40h anyway here. Are the Germans more productive? Not really. Both countries have the same numbers of good employees and lazy ones. When comparing exports and industries I can only see differences in the products. Both countries are successful and apparently they should have the same level and economical status. But France goes down and Germany stays up.Summarizing this to one factor would be too simple and naive, but I’m pretty sure there is something that makes a huge difference: food prices. In Germany every day food is quite accessible to everybody and prices are quite low, relatively speaking. Luxury food products are expensive (I know that’s why we call them luxury products) and can be found in specific stores. No luxury products in a supermarket. Cleaning products are cheaper in Germany than in France, even the French products themselves like L’Oreal, Garnier... you name it! It’s cheaper on the other side of the Rhine. Apparently some factories for french products are in Germany, which explains this weird fact. But on the French side of Europe I discovered that the everyday food is much more expensive while the luxury ones are cheaper in comparison. Not that buying a quality whisky is cheaper than a bad one but for example a bottle costing 70 Euros in Germany will be at 32 Euros in France. A less quality one will be at 12 Euros in Germany and 19 Euros in France. Frozen Salmon can be found at 2,50 Euros in Germany but for 5 Euros in France. You know what they say, the rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer. Under these circumstances it is understandable. Being rich in France is cheaper than to be rich in other countries because they can find cheaper products here. For the middle class life is harder as they have to work more to get the same level of life as their Teutonic neighbours. And the list could go on and on... France taxes the middle class heavily on what they have or want. Just as Portugal did and still continues doing. Germany taxes everybody also heavily but still finds a right(er) balance. As a result the crisis has not been felt as much in Germany as in other countries more relying on the trust of the “invisible hand” to save the day. Here in France people count their money with fear - fear of not having enough to finish the month in plus. But still they don’t abdicate to get the newest gadgets that the advertisment is bombarding us with every day. From another perspective, I can at the same time see people going around looking for fruits and vegetables and taking food from the trash that the open markets leave at the end of a business day. Some fight for it, others even bring a caddie to fill. And no, it is not only “poor” people as we usually depict them as that do their “trash tours”. It’s all kinds of persons. Society of the privileged and privileged France has a hard time for the less fortunate ones, it’s not as easy to go on as in Germany but it can still be ok if you reach a certain level of income. The middle class level is a bit higher in France than in Germany though you need to make more money to be considered part of the middle class, which obviously leads to that more people are in difficulties here. But one thing is certain: people are h a p p ie r here.

The Alpha and the Omega at lunch time

Following the last post there is something that is quite common and accepted even while it’s plain discrimination. It can be excused with financial reasons regarding taxes and form of payment but in the end those are only details that could be easily solved. This discrimination occurs daily and is rarely spoken of: canteen selection. All the bigger companies over the world have a canteen. All of those I worked for had one. Usually this little plus allows workers to get a fairly good meal at a fairly good price without leaving the premises of the company. Company wins, employees wins. And everybody knows that a happy employee is a productive employee, don’t we?
But the human being is a hierarchical one, he needs order and levels. When it comes to this matter Portugal is from far the worse. At least for now. When I worked as a contractor for many entities in the Government I was automatically cut off the canteen. Not authorized, members only rule. The pillar of Democracy was, and is, making a difference between his own employees. A privilege that me and so many others were not entitled to held. I didn’t care at the time, even if I must confess I nurtured a bit of jealousy as it was a real good deal quality/price. But I had a job, and it was already a good thing to work. Many jobs followed, still in Government agencies every time with the same policy except while I worked for schools or Universities. There I was allowed to use the canteen but paying a price higher than students and teachers. Even then they were three levels of access: student, teacher and employee. The fairest since I started to work, even if I don’t see a real difference between teachers and employees that justify the price of the canteen ticket. Later on I worked in Germany where food was bad so I was not affected. Too bad, because at first they were no difference of price. Just tasteless, in the best cases. It went on some years like that till they changed the rules, reducing the food given (I remember when they counted the “kroketten” up to 6 instead of a full plate of it), raised the prices and added a tax for contractors of one Euro. Pretty unfair and nothing was done as usual except a big complaining that lead to no action at all. One person acted regarding this and he was sacked. Obviously nobody moved. Truth hurts, always. Again it was time for a change and I moved back to Toulouse in a bigger company than the last one. France is different, country of old repressed royalty and “gentilhomme”, much better food and choices, entrées, dessert, plats chauds ou froids... Much more to pick from than 20 different kinds of sausages for breakfast or four type of Kartoffeln for lunch. And free coffee, even if Frenchies cannot do a good coffee. Free access to all. The downside? Contractors have to pay 4,8 Euros as a tax for not being direct employees. Even for the 2,5 Euros sandwich menu (sandwich, canned drink and dessert). Everybody hate it, on the contractor side of course. The “others” and the Unions never cared about this issue as usual. So far nobody acted, all look aside just like when you cross by an homeless person, you look away and pretend he is not there. Too busy to just maintain the Status Quo. They just live to endure, not to change anything.
And me? Well, maybe it’s time to take the power back.

Status Quo

France. A lovely country. Nice people, great food, enviable weather. One of the nation’s main sports is complaining. About the economy, racism, food, sports, work, people... everything. They have a natural gift to ask for more and better, whatever the situation. Historically you can see that Europe’s Modern Era came mostly from France. “Le siècle des lumières” lead changes that turned the World into what it is today, for good and for worse.
By then people were aware of that changes implied re-adaptation from all interveners. Back in 1789 the Bastille fell due to the lack of bread in Paris. The city rioted for food and took down monarchy. They knew that only a turmoil will make a difference - and it did. The French say “On a rien sans rien” which means “With nothing you’ll get nothing”. And that’s what they get today while only complaining. Of course this behaviour is common all over the World and not only in France. The desires of change are mostly never followed by an action to actually perform a modification of the desire.
Everybody works in order to sustain oneself even if one is not really happy. Sometimes somebody speaks up but he or she will be quickly taken down in order to avoid a global reaction. Vain responses as people are afraid of changes and to challenge authority. In industrialized countries nobody moves nowadays because they hold on to the little that they have; a house, a car, some money at the end of the month, just a glimpse of something fair and equal. Rarely the real deal. In the end complaining still exists and there is a refusal to risk the crumbles obtained so far. Giving a little something to the masses was the smartest move by the economy rulers - they knew that the masses only move when they have nothing to lose. Or someone crazy enough to take the risk of losing crumbles and win back his dignity as a human being. Making a choice. As the Italians say: “Better to live one day as a lion than one hundred as a sheep”.

The power of words

Through my life I’ve been in many believable messes and quite some twilight zones alike. I can’t blame it on fate or anything else except myself. Yes, I am the true forger of my destiny. Each action leads to a reaction but, most importantly, words rule. As the Chinese proverb says: “Beware of what you wish, you may get it”.
As far as I can remember I always got what I wanted in life - sooner or later. Mainly later I must confess. Why? Because I wished for it. I know that a Cartesian mind will laugh at it but it works for me and that is enough to believe in it. My first working day at Airbus I got to register for a temporary ID Card. Only a valid ID Card would get me in the Airbus premises. I work there via a company called Infotel, so I informed the lady at the reception desk that I was coming from Infotel in order to get my ID. But she found me under the Cassin Company instead. She was a little bit unsure to provide me my ID and I couldn’t think of a reason why I was under a wrong company name. After a few minutes of disbelief I remembered: I worked here in 2006!
By the time I worked at Airbus but not for Airbus. For my 2006 birthday I was putting pavement around the Airbus canteen near the B22 building. Cutting, posing and aligning stones to create a path all around the new restaurant. A hard working day perturbed by the many white and blue collars not understanding that literally walking on my work was not the best to do. Besides that we finished it in around a week - a job I was gladly leaving to go to Germany instead after almost a year of hard labour. That day I remember I told myself: “One day I will work here too”.
Coming back from memory land I sighed with relief and looked at the receptionist explaining her the situation. In a matter of minutes all was set and I got not a temporary but a permanent ID Card. Entering the gate I knew I managed to get what I wanted again. A quick walk around my new office I realized that I was going to work in the B22 building, a sparse hundred meters from where I made my original wish. Smiling I walked the same way I paved five years ago and I stopped abruptly. I realized that I had made more wishes since then.

Getting started

Going to work is for most humans not as rewarding as for some persons who can claim to be doing what they really truly want. The natural order is seldom respected and more and more people end up doing something they don’t want. Last time I went to Portugal on holiday I could see that most of the people there where doing their jobs for the money (utterly in order to be able to exist), and not out of love of actually doing it. To be honest that sucks. I can imagine that cleaning toilets or filling a car’s tank may not be the dream job of someone but still. Too many of this little tribe called humanity ends up doing something else than what they were supposed to do in the first place.

I did that too quite a while at the University as I needed money to pay for my studies. I had a goal and the jobs were a mean to simply get through it. So far so good. I actually did it happily because I knew it was serving my super evaluate goal. To pay for a higher education that was mainly higher in costs than anything else. But then came the necessity of paying bills getting me slightly off road from my goals. Work, when used as a tool is the answer. I usually don’t see someone doing his true calling as work. It’s his thing; he MUST do it - that’s his mission. The world goes around with most of its inhabitants doing what they don’t want. Our economy is based on it, having people with high hard super evaluate goals to achieve in order to keep up with the jobs nobody wants. It ends up twisting the whole natural order as too many people are doing their jobs when they don’t want to do them, taking the place from those who actually are meant to do them! I have a friend working as a salesman at a big high tech gadgets reseller. That’s his true calling. He blows the chart numbers every month and he is still honest when selling his gears. And he has fun. On the other hand most of his colleagues are not suited for the job and are there for an “in-between-job”, being bad workers and complaining all the time while performing against their own will. I am sure there are tons of salesmen eager to get there and to enjoy doing their jobs. They don’t. Most of human resources' challenges are to find a motivated candidate. In my working history I’ve been doing things I didn’t really want to as work but I enjoyed it because it was getting me closer to what I desired. And it was fine. I always have in mind a Portuguese phrase that states: “Se não estás bem, põe-te” which is a good way of saying “If you don’t like your situation, change it”. There are hundreds of opportunities out there. And usually we only need one in order to change. And move on.

At some point in our lives we should reach the moment when there is no more super evaluate goals except the one to do what we really want to do. No more doing any kind of job to pay bills. Maybe it’s age? Maybe it’s just an ipiranga scream? In any case, it calls for changes and a “no more of this” feeling. I went through this feeling a couple of times, always applying a politic of scorched earth in order to leave my past duties and jobs behind. Nothing is better to know than that you can’t go back in order to go ahead. New starts are a mix of discovery and surprises, not always the best ones but it is the way to grow and to create oneself anew. Walking this particular road may lead you to actually finding out that this is not for me, I need to take another path in life. Neither a success nor a failure - it’s a try for a better life and contentment. Happily I found myself in many of those moments and I’m glad for each one of the turns my life took and still will take, as I am sure this last one was not a one-way street. Deep down I know that I would never live with the sour taste of “what if?”.