The Contagiousness of Laziness

            I've been gone awhile, sorry about that.  I caught a bug.  It crept up on me when I wasn't looking.  It seems to be going around at work and it doesn't let up.  There is no pill or medication for it.  You need sheer willpower to overcome it.  Most of my workplace is seriously infected with it.  I would call the CDC to quarantine the place if not for my wife telling me it has already spread to her office too.  While I was down with the bug I had some time to check the news on the TV and it seems the disease has spread alot further than just locally.  It is quite possibly a national epidemic.  I believe the technical term for it is laziness.
            It has been determined, as with my case, that long term exposure to it can lead to contamination. That's how I caught it.  My ailment was only temporary and I was able to pull myself free.  However, I have to stay vigilant because I am surrounded by it on a daily basis.  I can fall prey to it at any moment due to the massive amounts that I am exposed to.  It is a wonder that the economy has not fallen further than it already has due to the breadth of the infected area.  Production is nearly at a stand still, as are most of the workers I know.
            The age old adage of a fair day's work for a fair day's wage is a thing of the past.  Today's worker needs to be rewarded merely for performing their normal workday tasks. Just making it to work deserves at least a two hour bonus.  Perks have now become standards and bonuses are factored into a salary instead of truly being a "bonus" for a job well done.  Extras are expected and calculated not appreciated and worked toward.  The hourly wage is a figure that comes with being hired and not actually the hours worked.  If a person works then they receive the hourly wage plus extra compensation as reward for actually performing the assigned task.  If a person does not work or is unable to gain employment then he or she is paid a weekly wage to stay at home.  I can see how this system would promote a high level of motivation along with a sense of pride in one's work.
            Management is not free from this sickness, as the hopelessness of leading unwilling workers slowly overtakes them.  The offices of America are filled with zombies staring at computer screens watching the clock and thinking on ways to avoid actually working.  Facebook and YouTube are excellent diversions for just this sort of thing.  When managers begin to believe that there is no change in the future, they devolve into the same lethargic entity they are trying to oversee.  Consumed by the masses, they no longer lead but simply put time in at their assigned work station waiting for the inevitable end.
            I have become determined to not allow this plague to infect me.  I will protect my family against such an evil epidemic.  I will meet my employment obligations daily (though I may think twice about covering my coworkers assignments upon completion of my own).  I will not allow the days to run together to create one long, blurry, forgettable week in which time has slipped through my hands.  I will strive diligently to not become jaded by the rewards heaped upon undeserving co-workers for under performing in their jobs.  I will fight tooth and nail to protect my integrity as a professional.  And in the end, I will be consumed by the crushing forces of the creeping, mumbling masses shuffling their way through the work week.