Spark

The start of another school year has me pining for my old workplace. A couple of years ago, we moved from the Dinkytown area of Minneapolis to a suburb. The old place was, well, old and quirky. The University of Minnesota was right next door and the neighborhood was filled with students. This time of year was always interesting - fresh young faces pretending to be older than their years (me, wandering among them, pretending just the opposite). After a summer of quiet, the sudden influx of young people brought an electricity to the place. I found myself vicariously energized.

There is very little electricity in the air around our new location. We are in an office park, which sits next to another office park, which sits to another office park, etc.. Lunch usually involves driving although there is a Jimmy Johns within about a quarter of a mile. If you decide to walk to it, your scenery will be mostly buildings much like the one you just left. Glancing into the windows you will notice that the color schemes and cubicle layout is also quite similar. Somewhere, there must be a study that states that workers are most efficient when smothered in mauve and taupe. That's the only explanation I can think of for the carpet and cubicle colors of virtually every office I have ever worked in.

So, as I sit here staring at the subdued colors surrounding me, I try to imagine the scene just a few miles away at our old location. Maybe if I can recall the electricity, I can still feel a small spark.