A recent foray to the shops to look at the latest fashions got me thinking about what I miss about office life. One of the things I miss is the clothes. If that brings to mind an alarming image of a nudist freelancer, then you’d be wrong! Call me shallow but I have a bit of a penchant for office finery and now I have no excuse to buy it - pussy bow blouses and pencil skirts just don’t work that well for going down the pub of a weekend. I guess I could always get dressed in the morning, ahem I mean get dressed up each day as if I was going to an office, but let’s face it that isn’t going to happen. Obviously I am always out of my pyjamas at a decent hour, though.
Aside from the highly important issue of office wear there are other things I miss about the world of work. In fact, for someone who works at home I find office life rather fascinating. I love hearing from friends about the things that go on at their places of work. You hear stories that range from the sublime to the ridiculous and you just don’t get that at home do you? I do know some freelancers who compensate for this lack by anthropomorphising (that took some thinking about) their pets.
Obviously one of the main things I miss is the people. They’re also one of the main reasons I escaped but I digress. Whatever jobs you’ve had, in most walks of life you’re likely to meet some real characters at work and I love that. I’ve met some of my best friends at work for one thing and in most offices I’ve worked in there’s been a certain amount of pleasing banter and a good few lively characters. Sure, you can have a bit of a chat and a joke online but you’re not just going to experience gems like people falling asleep at their desks and all-staff emails about lemon allergies (it’s a long story) when you work at home are you?
Also, who can forget the cherished opportunities to let off steam with co-workers? After-work drinks and cheeky lunches are always fun. Don’t worry I’m not a complete hermit and I do get out and about (occasionally) but there isn’t the same camaraderie as when you work together. You can’t really tell a story of a funny anecdote or vexing comment to someone you don’t work with without going into a huge back story, which kind of takes the edge off for both parties.
Another thing I miss to a certain degree is ‘home time’ in that you finish work and you don’t really have to think about it until you’re next in. I know many people have very stressful jobs but when I was employed I never had access to work email at home (thank god) and nobody was ever likely to call me on an evening or a weekend. So, in those days there was a much clearer divide between work and home. At the same time, though, I enjoy always having a little work idea bubbling away and I like the freedom to be able to do what I did today, which was get up at 5am and work because I couldn’t sleep and then have an afternoon off (and possibly back in bed given that ungodly hour!).
Although I do miss all these things to an extent, I won’t be swapping freelance life for office working again in a hurry if I can help it. You’ll notice the following points that I haven’t missed about office life:
Catching the bus in the rain
- Over-zealous interest from co-workers in what you’re having for lunch
- Clock watching
- Boredom
- Office politics
- Scummy kitchens
Mar 4, 2009
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