Afternoon Pages: May 2nd, 2020

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the D.C. metro region has been in a state of lockdown. To alleviate fear and stress, my writer's group has put together a daily "morning pages" get-together on Zoom in order to touch base before starting the day. Here's some of my brief thoughts.

Agh, don't have any cute baby/puppy/kitten pictures today. But I have been watching "The Office"! It's really nice. Finished "Business School" (S3E16) just now. You know, this entire time, as much as I like and maybe envy Jim, I don't see myself as Jim. I kind of see myself as Creed, and Dwight Schrute, and Michael Scott. Creed's ability to live under a rock, Dwight's gullability, and Michael's sense of humor and general awkwardness / weirdness.

Maybe that's why I'm so uncomfortable with myself. But maybe it's not such a bad thing. I think the fictional folks at Dunder Mifflin Scranton might not get much right, but the things they do get right matter disproportionately. Focus on sales, don't tolerate yes-men, and make people matter. If you get those right, and you're comfortable with yourself, who cares if the world sees you as a bizzaro freak of nature? Life in many ways is pass/fail, and you simply choose the metrics you wish to pass or fail on.

That is our office. And we sell paper. I'm really proud of you.

Michael Scott, in "The Office" (S3E16)