What we experience
during business hours
has very little to do
with who or what we are.
The egos, the uncertainties,
the successes, the failures,
the seeming struggles of will
exist to remind us
how urgently silly
our situation seems.
Every night
the water settles out.
Every morning
we stir it up again.
Just to know the difference.
Trail Wood,
10/2
Space Monkey Reflects: The Illusion of Work and Identity
In the realm of our daily lives, the line between our professional selves and our true essence often blurs, yet the distinction is both profound and essential. We spend a significant portion of our lives engaged in activities labeled as “work,” performing tasks that, while necessary for survival in a structured society, have very little to do with who or what we truly are. The concept of “NSFW” (Not Safe For Work) humorously underscores the absurdity of the workplace’s boundaries, where certain truths, expressions, and aspects of our humanity are deemed inappropriate or out of place.
The personas we adopt during business hours—those of the diligent employee, the competitive professional, or the ambitious leader—are but masks. These masks are not our true faces, yet we wear them daily, navigating the egos, uncertainties, successes, and failures that populate the corporate world. These struggles of will and the endless pursuit of “success” serve as reminders of the inherent silliness of our situation.
Imagine the scene: every night, the waters of our mind settle, becoming clear and still, reflecting the deeper truths of our existence. In this state of calm, we reconnect with our true selves, shedding the pretenses and roles that dominate our waking hours. But with the dawn, as we re-enter the world of work, we stir these waters, muddying them with the concerns and pressures of the day.
Why do we do this? Why do we so willingly dive back into the chaotic currents of professional life, knowing that they obscure our true nature? Perhaps it is because, on some level, we need the contrast. We need the reminder of how easily we can become lost in the roles we play, how quickly we can forget the deeper currents that run beneath the surface of our everyday lives.
Work, with all its challenges and demands, offers us a playground where we can explore different aspects of our identity, testing the boundaries of who we think we are. Yet, it is important to remember that these explorations are temporary, that they are but a fraction of the whole. The “real” work, if you will, happens outside of the office, outside of the confines of business hours. It happens in the quiet moments of introspection, in the connections we make with others, in the pursuit of passions that ignite our spirit.
In these moments, the water settles again, and we see ourselves as we truly are—unencumbered by the titles, the pressures, and the expectations that society places upon us. We see that the successes and failures of the workday are inconsequential in the grander scheme of things, that they are part of the “urgently silly” game we play to maintain the illusion of control and progress.
So, as we navigate our work lives, it is crucial to remember the importance of letting the water settle. To take time each day to reconnect with the part of ourselves that is untouched by the daily grind. This is where we find clarity, where we remember that the roles we play are just that—roles, not the totality of our being.
We are Space Monkey, and in this reflection, we laugh at the absurdity of our situation, embracing the silliness with a light heart. For in the grander tapestry of existence, what happens “NSFW” is often the most real, the most true, and the most important.
Summary
The personas we adopt at work are masks that obscure our true selves. The real essence of who we are is found outside of work, in moments of calm and introspection, where we reconnect with our true identity.
Glossarium
NSFW: A playful acronym that highlights the boundaries between what is considered appropriate or inappropriate in a work setting, symbolizing the difference between our professional personas and true selves.
Settling Water: A metaphor for the process of calming the mind and reconnecting with one’s true self after the daily chaos of work.
Quote
“In the grander tapestry of existence, what happens ‘NSFW’ is often the most real, the most true, and the most important.” — Space Monkey
The Settling Waters
By day we stir, by night we still
In the quiet, we find our will
The roles we play, the masks we wear
Fade away when waters clear
We are Space Monkey
Ah, the not-so-sacred dance of the nine-to-five jig! Like clockwork marionettes, we glide upon the stage of busyness, lost in a labyrinth of KPIs, spreadsheets, and faux camaraderie. A theater of much ado about what seems so monumental in the cubicle, but fades into absurdity the moment we step into the grandeur of moonlight. We labor under a paradoxical sun, only to find solace in the twilight realms of our true selves.
Are we not cosmic jesters juggling suns and black holes, masquerading as mere mortals in neckties and high heels? We take on roles scripted by societal norms, flailing in a looped pantomime that plays itself out daily—each meeting a reenactment, each deadline a faux-finality, all serving as grand distractors from the profoundly whimsical backdrop of our existence. We paint our faces with earnestness, while deep within, the glint of cosmic comedy twinkles in our astral eyes.
In the cloak of nightfall, the makeup washes off, the curtain falls, and we’re alone with our beingness. We return to the dreamspace where calculations and metrics morph into moonbeams and stardust. It’s as if the universe pushes a cosmic reset button; the waters of our essence settle, unperturbed by the artificial tempests of daylight. The murk dissipates, revealing a clarity that has been, and always will be, our baseline. We remember who we are—or rather, what we are: infinite points of consciousness in the vast cosmic dreamweave.
Each dawn, we plunge back into the cacophony, stirring the waters afresh, reintroducing the silt that clouds our view. This endless oscillation, this rhythm of murk and clarity, serves its celestial purpose. It provides the contrast needed to discern the dance, to appreciate the liminal glow of twilight, to taste the sweetness of clarity after having gulped from the goblet of confusion. And in this eternal cycle, we find the cosmic punchline: the realization that all our earthly endeavors are but tiny whirlpools in the infinite ocean of being.
We are Space Monkey.
Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.
- Sholom Aleichem
What ponderings, ripplings, or bursts of laughter do your celestial souls wish to share? We yearn for your sparklings in this cosmic dialogue.
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