Hard bound, ad scrambles and distracted working
Dear Rachel,
I just met someone at their house for a professional sit-down chat. That’s fine. But when I left, they insisted I take a book off their shelf. They thought I’d find it interesting based on our conversation. But this is like a Sacred Bargain. Am I indebted until I give them another book in return?
- Involuntary Book Club
Dear Booked and Sentenced,
You are indeed honor bound. But the real question is, is the book itself hard-bound or paperback? You can release yourself from the paperback obligation by leaving a paperback book in a little free library. That’s the circle of life. If it’s hardcover, though, you basically owe this person a life debt. There is no way to repay this. Not even another hardcover in exchange. Your life is no longer your own.
– The end, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
There oughta be a way to tell your phone that you’re looking things up for a friend and not yourself. I am the compulsive one who whips out my phone to look up prices, directions, answers to weird questions. But you should see the ads my algorithm shows me. It must think I’m half a dozen people in one. I’m tired of being bombarded for baby gates when I don’t have a baby and pomegranates when I’m allergic. Any techno-insight?
– Al Gore Rhythm
Dear Lookup Service,
Two words: Flip. Phone. Your friends can still reach you. But you cease to be the 311 on all things. Plus, no algorithm! Sure, you might become a social pariah and, in turn, have to ask your technologically modern friends to book you a Lyft. But this seems worth it to avoid seeing one more unwanted ad.
– You may hang up, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
I work from home. Why does everyone in the Real World think this means I’m perpetually flexible? Come help me move a couch! Swing by to see my new puppy! Let’s go get a beer! Just because I’m my own boss doesn’t mean I can be lenient on myself. Every distraction I succumb to means I stay up that much later. How can I set better expectations around my workday?
– Out of Office
Dear “Works” from Home,
Your work is the adult equivalent of having class outside. Your whole life is basically a free day, as far as our inner third-graders are concerned. You’ll never stop the onslaught of distractions. You either have to unplug yourself to remain sequestered, or else gift all your friends hardcover books. That’ll get them to stop bugging you so much, for fear of you calling in your life debt to them.
– Self-unemployed, Rachel
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