I work in a very large office, and someday I’m going to get out.
Every night, instead of pitching my tent, I pack my gear on and look for the way down to the floor below. If I’m lucky, it’s a clearly marked stairwell or an elevator that doesn’t require and executive key. But I’ve had to crawl through vents and squeeze through pipes and one time, when moving from the floor for Accounts Payable Europe to Accounts Receivable Japan, I had to crawl out a window and rappel through the darkness. I wanted to take a look around, at the world outside, but didn’t dare. In the space between floors, between functions, I was light headed and filled with vertigo, and almost let go, just to let go, before I knew it. I’ll do whatever it takes to reach the ground floor, but I’m not ready to look out a window yet.
There are always empty desks to slip into, if you know the signs. Take a few knick-knacks out of your bag, nothing too big to carry, and put them around as if you’re just settling in. Today the Associate Director of IT for Central America gave me a funny look, but he believed me when I said that human resources had transferred me in from administrative support. They always do.
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St. John Campbell is a pseudonym
Read more stories by St. John Campbell
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