The Adventures of Job Boy (Part I: Origin Story)
It was a day just like any other day. The mild mannered employee known as Peter (Pete, Petey, or Big P to his co-workers) made his way into the office on time as he did every morning. After greeting the receptionist and heading to the “kitchen” for some lukewarm coffee and a day-old danish he made his way back to his cubicle. His work space was OK. Not the roomy office he’d imagined when he was toiling away in college and grad school, but it could be worse. Of course, the photos of his cube-mate Tom’s “greatest fishing triumphs” that hung everywhere were a little much, and the classic rock stylings of Bob Seger that always seemed to be emanating from Tom’s radio got a little old, but it could be worse.The bright fluorescent light that hung above the cubicle had taken to flickering, and the regular zapping sound that accompanied it made our would-be hero feel as though bugs were flying to their deaths above him. But like Peter always said, it could be worse. After all, it was payday, and he had his eye on a new TV for the family room.
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2 u2 l& Z$ e: ?# G, N: [' g tThe day passed as most days did. Peter dealt with clients, files, numbers, data, and Tom’s continual questions about TV shows that Peter had never seen. The work was OK. It wasn’t challenging by any means, not for someone with Peter’s skills and experience, but it could be worse.+ R3 [/ D0 W! k: [& h9 @# B5 S
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Things got a little exciting when Peter’s boss summoned him.
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6 \9 Z8 s& U! ^5 X' i5 u2 U e2 A% M“Costs are up, Big P,” The Boss said. “We’ve had to make some cutbacks. I’m going to need you to take on a little extra work in the upcoming weeks and months.”
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Peter left his boss’s office knowing there would be no extra pay for the extra work, but hey it could be worse. At least he hadn’t been “cut back.” Peter sat back down at his desk. Tom was singing along to “Turn the Page” in that off-key way of his when Peter saw the paycheck on the desk (the company had long since abandoned its direct-deposit program). Peter opened the envelope, images of a ‘36” flat-screen in his head. At first, he thought there had to be a mistake. Surely the bonus system in place should account for more than this.
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2 ~8 D' r8 Y" n) W) BAfter a long discussion with the overly-friendly HR rep, Peter learned that the bonus system had been restructured. “You should have received the memo,” the HR Rep had said. Peter hadn’t received the memo, but he thought he might have accidentally erased it or something.% g8 V3 R) k j% E; [5 [- Y; r/ L5 [: U; \
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“Look forward to seeing you put in the extra hours, Big P,” The Boss said as Peter left the office in the evening.
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That night, Peter sat at home too angry to watch his old television. He ate dinner with the family, and then went to the computer. He felt something changing. He knew that he was meant for more. He knew that there was something else out there for him. He knew that he could no longer tolerate “it could be worse.” He knew he needed a Plan B. He knew he must become…Job Boy!
