“In the mansion of life, we can’t all be the state bedroom. Someone’s gotta be the outside bog, and that’s you!” — Vince, in Pratt Outta Hell, by Ben Elton

I wonder how many people are happy with the job they’re in, and how many are just killing time/earning some bucks while they work towards something else? I don’t mean people who are progressing naturally through their chosen career, but are actively trying to switch.

What does the guy lugging expensive boutique soft-drinks into an exclusive cafe think of the clientele? Do people in service industries ever get envious of their (sometimes quite obviously) more wealthy customers? Or are they happy enough (provided their own wages are high enough) not to be living with the stress (past, during higher education, and present, in their jobs) those people might be burdened with?

Personally I’m pretty happy in my job, because the pay’s pretty good, the hours are flexible, I’m learning stuff, it continues to challenge me, and it’s not overflowing with red-tape. And I don’t really want to leave the technical sphere and go into management, which I know from past experience is Not Me.