Just Passing By

I started a subscription of O magazine, not because I’m a huge fan of Oprah [I find Ellen Degeneres' show funnier and more interesting] but because I think O magazine offers so many really good articles that inspire, teach and motivate. It also limits its ads to a tolerable number that you actually take the time to look at them unlike other magazines I mistakenly subscribed to where I feel all I bought were the ad pages.

Anyway, there was one very short section on office etiquette where 3 panelists argue about whether it’s  appropriate to put on your iPod while working. It hit close to home because I’m guilty of doing it. One panelist argue that it’s absolutely rude that you need to tap a co-worker to get his attention just because he’s tuned out everyone. Another panelist said that it’s unfair that a worker gets paid by listening to his iPod all day.

True, my officemates have to wave [or do a goofy face] behind my back, hoping I’d see them on the little mirror I glued to the side of my computer monitor. Sometimes, they have to knock on the metal railing on my wall to get my attention. It annoys them sometimes but I couldn’t care less. I’d rather be listening to my iPod than be tortured by the constant chatter of the products team on the other side of my cubicle  when they do product demos for prospects on the phone. Or to the director who thinks that just because she’s in an office, she can talk to clients on the speaker phone. With my editing job, it takes an enormous amount of discipline to focus on the copy while there is constant extraneous noise around me. Having my headphones on beats listening to my cube neighbor who constantly sighs and talks to herself all day, in stage whispers no less!

They can preach all they want about how it’s counterproductive to allow iPods in the workplace - but I’ll stand my ground. As long as I can get my job done and still keep my sanity at the end of the day - David Pomeranz, Stephen Bishop and Enrique Iglesias will be keeping me company all day.