Sinkhole
I was roaming around the office for a few minutes. I asked around. I looked around. I sifted around. I was looking for a little roll of toilet paper.
I realize our office is a microcosm of society, of life. It starts with lofty ideals but gets shot right smack into the sinkhole. I see this by looking at the things that get lost in our office.
When we were in our old creaky office in the uptown area, things were good. Everybody was happy despite the small pay and all were working for what many call as the greater good. Back then, the most valuable thing in life must have been the ballpen. Leave your money, your beeper (no cellphones yet), your soul and it stays intact. Leave your ballpen and in 30 seconds it’s gone. It’s irritating at times but you get to smile at how funny this little ballpen could mean in a newsroom.
Fast forward to the new millennium. Suddenly, big things had started disappearing. My favorite mug sudenly teleports from my desk into the IT room overnight. Suddenly my earphones sleepwalked and woke up in the sports section. Now this annoyed me. These things are really valuable. Like society, like people, we started as idealistic in our existence but we ended up chasing and loving the material things. Almost always, we end up being materialistic.
Then comes Sept. 30, 2006. I was looking for a roll of tolet paper. The assistant said they are not taking out toilet papers from the stocks easily anymore because it gets lost. People are also hiding in their drawers the toilet papers they get for fear somebody (like me) would come and get it. Maybe somebody takes the toliet paper home? Or maybe someone goes to the sink one too often (I could be guilty of that). But toliet papers are toilet papers. It’s supposed to be used. It’s a man’s best friend next to dog and women.
Despite our sprawling building complex, a recent accross-the-board salary increase, I realize we have gotten ourselves even deeper into the sink. There is no more respect, even for one’s most private moments..people hide toilet papers already. NO more sharing. No more caring. It’s me and my toilet paper. Mind your own problem.
So just like the days of cavemen and jungle wars, I sneaked into one cubicle, peeped into a box of documents and saw a roll of toilet paper. People in dire need of something..money, self-esteem, release sometimes stoop down to the level of criminals just to get what I want. I was not born a criminal. I am not a bad man, but my society, my office made me one.
By hiding toilet papers.
