I like the feeling of office buildings and office parks. It probably has to do with my interest in college campuses, libraries, and tall buildings, but something about being in a nice corporate office park inspires me and makes me happy. Today I ran around an office park around the local Costco that I frequent and marveled at the emptiness of the office park with several different building onwhat would be busy work day pre-pandemic, white-collar workers streaming out of the buildings on their way home to their surbaban homes into their Honda Accords or Toyota Camrys, or if they're really roughing it, the bus or train station. Now Covid has wiped most of that traffic out as everyone sets up camp in their own homes, which reminds me of the lyrics to an iconic Coldplay song, Viva La Vida: "I used to rule the world, seas would rise when I gave the word. But now I sleep alone, sweep the streets I used to own."
It's not that bad to work from home (there are actually quite a few perks), but I do romanticize about the days I worked in downtown Los Angeles, among the buildings that served as the backdrop to music videos like Panic! at the Disco's "High Hopes" or movies like "Heat" (bank robbery scene) and I do miss the feeling of being part of something, the hustle bustle of a city and the commotion, being alive and part of something. Working in a fancy office building, while not necessary for my occupation, gave me a sense of purpose, the same purpose of wearing business clothing, that I mattered and had a job to do, a sense of belonging to the work force of America and the World. It also gave me confidence in the world, as some of the modern buildings were marvelous and intricately detailed in their design and architectural soundness, the roads spaced just far enough apart from each other and in some places even with air bridges several stories high that connected 2 differnet buildings. Maybe the human race is not doomed after all, look at all we've accomplished with these fancy buildings. Even today, in the empty office lot I ran through, there was a semicircle parking lot that created an arc around where cars could go in one side of the tunnel and out the other, having navigated around the actual building.
Office buildings are indispensible parts of the memories I have of working during the last 10 years since graduating from law school; all my previous jobs before then were non-professional settings like at a grocery store, outdoor summer camp; I'll never forget starting my first law school internship at a real law firm, parking in the parking garage with fancy cars and going up to the reception desk to check in for the first day; riding up the elevator with other people dressed like me ready to start their work days; heading out to nearby restaurants during lunch or just heading out for a leisurely walk to break up the day; enjoying the sunlight, fresh air, and probably water fountains/ flower garden that were conveniently located outside the buildings. I think workers in these office settings are probably missing that feeling of having a second home to go to where they spend a half of their waking hours. Personally, as much as I feel like I've adjusted to the pandemic work settings, as soon as I walk onto a nice corporate office lot the memories flood back of all the different places I've worked and I can't help but look forward to getting back to one of them again someday. Viva la vida.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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