I caught the last part of the BBC's British at Work, presented by Kirsty Young. I can't help, having told you about Annie's job loss and her boss saying it's "an employers market" two things Ms Young informed me of:
In 1995, a company CEO earnt 44 times that of the average British worker.
Today, a CEO earns 88 times more.
88 times more
88
(Exhale)
She also concludes that work used to be something we did and now it identifies who we are.
If that is true, that is the very deep malaise in our society.
When I was a deputy editor, my job certainly defined me but I hated that it did. Strangers were certainly more impressed and interested in me than they had been when I was working in a call centre but I wasn't any different as a person. I have to admit though, I got used to it, it felt good to be positively looked upon because I was a such and such and had the added bonus of enjoying the such and suchness that I did.
I had a shuddering crisis of identity when I became a mother and lost my journalism job.
Who the fuck was I?
Now, to you, to society, I am a single mother on benefits, a scrounger, a parasite.
I still don't know who I am, but I'm now happier for that, for I am only who I am, nothing else.
My job, whatever my job may be, will never define me. It can't. It can only depress me, if it's not right for who I am, whoever that might be.
Only others will judge me by my job. They can't help it, can they?
Prime Minister/Parking Attendent
same same but different?
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3 comments:
Hi Stig. Yes, I saw that programme too. Very intersting.
No, don't ever be defined by what you do. Fed up with society constantly doing that. Its who you are that matters.
Sorry, talking to the converted. meant well though xxx
I totally agree with you about the fact that a job shouldn't define who we are...but it seems that most people tend to disagree with me. God knows why - I think that people believe that a job defines them since they suffer from low self-esteem....and are insecure so they need the job's status to feel better about themselves.
What you sorry for Jen?! It's great you agree with me!
Who's disagreeing with you anonymous? What "type"?! Certainly some people use their jobs to hide behind but it is the measure of the person that ocunts.
Saying that though, I'd still love a job that I enjoy! I think lots of people do. I personally don't care about status if it's paid well!!
There's so much we have to rise above in our society, and our society is one of those things we have to rise above...Fed up too Jen!
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