Culture Vulture

I realised at the beginning of August that if I didn't take 5 days holiday before the end of the month, I was going to lose them. Forever.

Once I would have meekly sacrificed these days without a fight - but no more! Following the Hierarchy's spirited defence of my bullying manager and colleagues, I will never again make the mistake of donating holidays, flexi hours or overtime to my employing organisation...

Having obtained formal consent for my owed 5 days leave, I stir myself to make them productive. After years of planning to go and see exhibitions, only to realise they have finished when I finally get round to having a free Saturday, it feels wonderful to actually go and see shows shortly after they have opened.

So I have now been along to:

"From Paris - A Taste For Impressionism" at the Royal Academy
"Shakespeare: Staging the World" at the British Museum
"Edvard Munch - The Modern Eye" at the Tate Modern

!!!

I may be persona non grata at work, but at least I now know my Boldini from my Pissarro.

I go to one of these exhibitions in the company of a former employee. A former employee who used to be - how shall I phrase it? - really quite senior before he retired last year.

We became good friends about 3 years ago while I was heading up a particular project, and have maintained our friendship ever since. He is one of the people who has supported me through the painful experiences of the past year, providing no other service than his time and a listening ear.

And I am extremely grateful for it.

After we have pottered round the exhibition, he takes me for lunch (I justify this ligging on the basis that his pension is probably four times my salary). It's a couple of months since we last met up, and he tells me that he is struck by the change in me. I seem - lighter somehow, he says.

I explain that I have worked hard to expand my life outside work, and that as a result I have achieved almost complete psychological disconnection from the organisation. I tell him that I have no interest in pursuing promotional opportunities, that I no longer feel any sense of loyalty towards my employers, and that I now wave my Stepford Employee off to spend the day in the office, while Real Woman reserves the greater part of her energies for her voluntary work, creative activities and her friends.

Former Employee winces as I describe the continuing decline of my department, the apparent deterioration of the organisation's political leadership, and the descending profile of Anonymous Council.

I wonder if he is wincing because his former ship is going to hell in a handcart...?
Then I realise that, like me, he no longer cares !
Because he is now - gloriously - FREE.

"Let's have another coffee," he suggests.
Goodness.
It's four o'clock already.

"Yes," I say. "Let's."