Oh the Paradox
Right now I am wearing a dressy shirt, shiny shoes and a tie. I am surrounded by others dressed much the same, speaking politely in jargon I barely understand. The air on the 11th floor is stale and recycled, the walls are plain and the few windows offer views of countless other rooms just like this one. I stare out one of these windows and dream of being outdoors. A picture hangs by four pushpins next to my list of company extensions in my cubicle. It is an image of trees and grass, blue skies and hundreds of people. A stage occupies the bottom third and on top of that stage, Faith in Phantoms is rocking out. It is a picture of Samapalooza 2009 and I am at work.
Twenty-five miles to the north the land beckons. There is so much work to be done, weeds to mow, wood-chips to spread and I am stuck here. I’m not complaining, I earn a decent wage and am thankful to have this job but that does not stop my mind from drifting. Like so many others in the corporate world, my job is not my passion and I show up merely for a paycheck. My passion is up there, transforming the land into my future.
Hundreds of olive saplings struggle to survive the seasons, fighting off the nature of the place. This is the time of year when white flowers bud on the branches, eventually giving way to the green fruit. I swivel in my chair and dream of the day we press this fruit and bring its oil to the market.
Right now, the stage, sound booth and bar are empty. They stand above the weeds and grass as monuments to our vision. In two months the weeds will be cleared out, the stage piled high with musical equipment and the bar will be stocked. We will be ready for the Fourth Samapalooza, guaranteed to be the biggest and best to date.
This is my passion and I am fortunate enough to share it with a dedicated and talented group of people. We live for this. We look at the land and see possibility, we see improvements to be made and ideas to be fulfilled. We are steadily marching towards what we all know this place can be. We believe that this land is an extension of ourselves and in it is unlimited value and potential. It starts with Samapalooza, it starts with planting an olive tree, it starts with pulling a weed.
I am interrupted by a telephone call. I have forgotten to enter the tracking number of the package I sent to the corporate office in Atlanta into our database. I am a patient man.