The Death of Independence

I told another friend to quit her job today. However, today it probably hit me, harder than ever -- how often have I asked (most of) my friends to do that!

Let's face it - you're never a 100% satisfied with the job you're with. It's mostly because of the people you're working with/for. They're all Idiots -- they always will be, because you are telling me the story! Who tells a story where he/she is the evil idiot?

But, whatever the story, my response, inevitably - "why don't you just quit?"
Sure, things are never so simple. We can't just 'quit' and walk away.
However, today, I realized the efforts of my unconscious mind. I've been trying to get my friends to quit their jobs - all at once....

Just imagine. Every regular employee, from the local barber to the regional manager at CBTL, from the cleaner at Skyline College to the Sport Management Head at the Griffith University, from me to you -- everyone just quits.

We all pick a day, and we just quit. It won't be a media issue, because all the journalists and producers also quit!
You go to your local supermarket and see all the shareholders, who have finally come to work! It's about time they tried working at the cash-counter!
You go down to Starbucks and see Howard Schultz personally sticking up posters of his new marketing stunt - "How to brew your own cup at your local Starbucks (ps - please, deposit the right amount of change into our self-serve cash register when you're done)"
Ingvar Kamprad will move IKEA back to Sweden -- back to the roots, in that small wooden shop on some busy street. No more yearly catalogues, no more in-store restaurant with that $3.00 hotdog - just furniture and a big sign reading "we don't deliver anymore"!

Even if 10% of the global workforce quits today -- there will be complete chaos.

I know, most of you probably won't quit because of the Starbucks thing I mentioned -- "to make my own cup of coffee? Don't I need a degree for that? No, I cannot live without my perfect brew - I can't quit!"

I understand!

I guess, the whole point here is how dependant we have to be on someone or something - while those independent small-scale businesses, with their personal services, are dying/dead. The guys who remembered your name and order not because they were trained or told to do so -- they did it because they cared... They appreciated the fact that you appreciated their store...
People like Kathleen Kelly with her Shop Around the Corner can no longer survive.

I was 4, and then, one day, it all started to get complicated...

My dream is hidden somewhere in that picture -- perhaps, someday, I'll find it...