Running Down

About five years ago, when I'd just stepped down as Chief Technology Officer Chief Intelligence Officer submagnate of the College of Wyverns, I bought myself a pair of running shoes. I thought I'd have more time to run, and I did, at first. Then people noticed I had more time and gave me more work.

It crossed my mind that efficiency was not the way to go. If you were more efficient, you saved company time. This, however, was often taken to be you saving time for your own miserable ends. Efficiency=idleness, the equation said. If you were truly efficient, you'd do MORE things in LESS time, not the same number of things in less time.

You got quite run down that way, because you noticed that the people who got the big bonuses never did much work, but always looked busy doing something that really had nothing to do with the main educational mission of the school. Those who taught well and drove the machine of the institution just burned out slowly and quietly somewhere.

The old pair of running shoes died today, in a total blowout somewhere near the local Botanic Gardens. Pow! Utter disintegration of one sole. It wasn't the sole casualty; the other side, on further inspection, proved to be on the point of terminal material failure as well. Took a cab home, and regretfully consigned the last vestige of that particular organisational past to the trash heap of history.

It felt good though. Time to buy a new pair!