Ahead Into the Dark

“I suppose I took comfort in the illusion

that I could go back.

But I'd been around long enough to know

history is sealed and unchangeable.

You can move on, with a heart stronger in the places

it's been broken, create new love.

You can hammer pain and trauma into a righteous sword

and use it in defense of life, love, human grace

and God's blessings. But nobody gets a do-over.

Nobody gets to go back

and there's only one road out.

 Ahead, into the dark.” 

-Bruce Springsteen

After spending the past eighty-five days working from home, I returned to the office yesterday.  I figured that once Governor Murphy lifted the stay-at-home order under which we had been living since mid-March, it was only a matter of time before those of us scattered across the state like matchsticks would be summoned back to the Firm.  I decided that I would dictate that myself. 

It took me very little time to realize that while I enjoy how I earn a living, I no longer feel constrained to do it within the Firm's four walls in Parsippany.  I worked remotely for three months, driving to the office twice weekly in the early morning to drop off files, to pick up files, and to pick up my mail. But for those forays, I worked from home every day, never lacking for work to do, and never lacking for peace and quiet in which to do it. 

Yesterday, it took until 8:30 am, listening to people talking over one another - and our excellent Facilities Manager, Jose, and his right-hand, Rosemary, complaining about some allegedly important issue, for three months' of peace and quiet to be eviscerated.  

Un-fucking-believable.   

I did not miss it.  Not any part of it. 

This week, "WFB" Friday cannot arrive soon enough...and not just for me.  

-AK