March 25: Cramped Office, God's Love Number Thirty-Six, Coworkers

[Ives] would leave the apartment, catch the 125th El train downtown to Times Square, scoot over from Seventh Avenue, cut through the garment district, the streets and sidewalks already chaotic with people, get his daily blueberry muffin and two cups of coffee from the lobby diner, and make it to his cramped office.

Ives has settled.  He has a comfortable job in advertising, using his artistic talents to sell furniture polish, among other things.  He's able to buy his kids nice Christmas presents.  Send his daughter to a good university.  Help his best friend open up a restaurant.  While he's not a famous artist, Ives likes his boss and colleagues.  He enjoys the respect of everyone with whom he works.


I did not dream of working in a medical office when I was younger.  I dreamed of writing for a living, teaching at a university, traveling to London, Rome, Paris.  I wanted to have an extraordinary life.  I was going to be an artist, changing the world with my words and ideas.

Today, I teach part-time at a university.  I work full-time in a medical office, registering patients, collecting payments, scanning records.  All day long, I face people who are nervous, scared, angry, and sick.  I'm supposed to make these people relax, feel comfortable.  This life is not the one I imagined for myself.  I'm a lot like Ives in this respect.

I could be miserable daily.  I'm not doing work that I love.  However, I work with two people who make my job fun.  They make me laugh, allow me to be a little inappropriate at times.  We have a good time together.  And that makes my life tolerable.  Enjoyable.

That's God's love number thirty-six.  My two coworkers.  They make me happy doing a job that I don't find particularly fulfilling at times.

In his cramped office, Saint Marty has people he cherishes.

I am, too