every job


ever since i started my own company
and even before that
i always had to argue with people
complaining about certain tasks
being boring and
they would like someone else to do
the really boring tasks that they have done
so many times before and
so on

and on

i have told them that every job has certain
elements of boredom
i told them that my job also has a lot of menial, boring parts that i have to do and i have been doing them
for many many years

anyway, i feel that people don´t want to do these tasks and some jobs are always shuffled around in the office every time we employ
someone new

it´s ok in a way but
even menial tasks are important
and usually must be carried out by
someone skilled

being new on a job does not mean you are well
suited to handle
all
menial tasks.

there are important menial tasks
as well as
not so important menial tasks

to throw a paper in a wastebasket is a menial task
that is not so important but

i have seen people throwing away the
wrong paper causing a whole weekend´s work
to get the
information back

last Friday we were having coffee and a cake in the office because one girl
was having her 21st birthday
everyone was in a good mood and it was
Friday afternoon and everybody talked about what
was going to happen during the weekend

i was in the middle of going through
an artist contract from a
record company and I hardly had time for coffee and
i was really annoyed with the way the contract was
drawn up
i had been going through this type of contract so
many times and always the same things has to be adjusted it´s like we always have to start from the beginning
like all previous negotiations never
took place

over my cup of coffee i was complaining to
my partner
and he agreed
he faces the same thing
i got on and complained about having to correct the same stupid things again and again
and that i had to charge my client for
this stupid job

suddenly the 21 year old girl looked at me and
interrupted us

but, Henry, you know that all jobs has certain parts that are
boring but
someone has to
do them

i had some more coffee and
a piece of cake as well.




Published in Chiron Review #70, 2002