Control is very much like nirvana, everybody wants it, many try to achieve it and very few actually ever get it. Control also shares one more thing with nirvana – it’s unnatural.
Freedom, on the other hand, is a true and natural state. In the decision on the Amistad case the American Supreme Court ruled that it was legal, even right, to kill someone who tried to enslave (control) you. Honestly speaking, the court and its rulings can go to hell for all anybody cares. No one needs to be told that freedom is a right, and if you don’t believe me on that, just put someone in a room and lock him up. If he doesn’t spend a major part of his time trying to escape then I’m a goat.
That’s not to say that goats aren’t nice, they are, that’s why I likened myself to them.
As of this morning I’m in the middle of a mini-controversy. An article I wrote, as a matter of fact, it was the first one I wrote on this journal had accidentally reached the inbox of one of the directors. This morning the article and the mail was used as an example of misuse of company resources and of course corresponding changes are now being brought into effect to curb such activities.
Firstly, I am honored. I have lost no time in claiming the title of ‘affecting personality’. When queried about it, I take pains to explain how my actions always seem to ‘affect’ a large number of people and hence my right to the title.
More importantly however I am amused. I have been informed that one of the new rules that will come into affect is that employees are not going to be allowed to use the company email id for personal purposes. Two things about this rule amuse me.
One, nobody says that you cannot write essays. I guess the reason for that is because it cannot be enforced. So end result, I will still write essays, and I will still send it to people.
Two, now everybody has to use their web email ids to send and receive mail. I wonder if it has occurred to the controllers about how much company time will be spent by people to go and open the various web email accounts.
Funny, isn’t it?
You start out trying to assert control and end up being penny-wise and pound-foolish.
Where have I heard that before? Both, the idiom and the situation.
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