let’s get free: leaving evil corp once and for all
If you’ve spoken to me in the past several months, one of the things you probably heard about was my desire to leave my company, who shall be called Evil Corp from here on out. Depending on how comfortable I was revealing various info, I might’ve even told you the company’s real name or (more likely) some of its various policing, security, and surveillance related projects. Some public examples include: purchasing Israeli cyber security firms, plans to implement a worldwide biometrics identification system with the World Bank, and establishing multiple fusion centers around the world.
Over the past year, I saw more and more security/policing/surveillance related items being taken on by Evil Corp and they were proud of it. Loved it. Professed how much safer we’d all be because of this work. Except I don’t feel safer living under a police state, whether it’s administered by the state or a massive corporation contracting with the state. So, I stopped telling people where I worked. I actually felt a sense of shame in the pit of my stomach, even though realistically I know I needed the paycheck until I found something else. When I did tell people where I worked, I made sure to talk about my discomfort with the Minority Report tactics the company was taking. At least others knew that way.
But yesterday, I GOT TO LEAVE EVIL CORP. I found another position two weeks ago and immediately gave notice.
I feel incredibly grateful to have an opportunity outside of Evil Corp. And to them and their war machine building, I say good riddance.
space explorations to solve earthly crises
I’m missing my dad a lot today…not really sure why. I can’t believe it’s been almost two years already. I remember exactly where I was when I got the phone call that would change everything: sitting in my apartment, getting ready for work in the morning. It was sudden and I felt like the earth fell out from beneath me. And then I went numb.
But I prefer to focus on other memories, like him calling everyone he loved “Pookie” in the goofiest voice imaginable. His bright smile and laugh that filled up the room. Discussing cannabis legalization with him and his mom on Easter one year, I think after Colorado voted to legalize. Cruising the river on the boat we had for awhile. He wasn’t perfect; nobody is, but he was my dad.
When I’m missing him a lot, like today, I listen to “Space Exploration to Solve Earthly Crises” by The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die because the lyrics discuss the possibility of other life forms — lightyears away — being able to see loved ones who’ve passed in their still living forms. It’s a beautiful thought, really…maybe he’s still amusing someone else in his moving, breathing form, just lightyears away.
Infinity didn’t feel like anything until I was among the stars, searching for something that I had loved and lost
Let us hope that the duct tape holds
And that my misguided science and memories
Of his crooked coffee-stained smile
Can lead me to a place
Where his light still illuminates the days