from d.c.: roof with a view

No, this is not a line up of D.C. monuments taken from a tourist destination. It’s the rooftop view from a downtown office building.




I visited it this morning, curious about the working habits and environments of the many who keep long professional hours here. I’m thinking of those who start the morning with a Starbucks (or Starbucks-look-alikes),




…drop off dry-cleaning, work intensely, then break for lunch, out with co-workers, or at their desks if the workload is high. Long hours, not much food in the fridge back home, not much time to prepare it. Sometimes, a dinner out, especially if a parent or two are in town, visiting…




It’s not a bad set of routines if you like your work. The person I tracked to her office this morning does like her work.

If only this were true for all others... So many more hours are spent on work than on any other set of tasks. So many people, forced to work at jobs they hate.

On the Metro back to the airport I looked at the face of this man, getting on at the Pentagon stop. Polished shoes, a nametag that reads "Smith," unrevealing eyes. Does he like his job as well?