The Office Assistant - Answers to those questions
After a month of having people drop by to sit in the chair and chat, the answers to those 4 questions seem to be crystal clear and brilliant in their illumination.
So, what do you REALLY want to do?
Most of you (willing and unwillingly) struggled with the answers, and described something that was an action or activity. Such as "I really want to open a small business, or to be xyz or to travel etc ....." Five people out of more than 400 gave an answer based on a value set, and came back to me to tell me how they had struggled with the questions simply because of this distinction between action and associations around that word "do". These typical replies were "I really want to be doing something that demonstrates my ability to be appreciative......" or "I really want to be more honorable....." or "I really want to be more aware of others.....". By viewing their life's work based on a value set, rather than an activity, they didn't struggle with the following questions. Try it - identify a value set rather than an action, and see how the questions line up congruently. See how these choices cascade through the other questions - "if there are 24 hours of existence left, what would you do?" And "if you had one year to live, what would you do?" Only one person gave me my own words back, literally letter for letter, and she is a visitor from Atlanta, who came to the lobby with her friend, also an artist, for an entirely different reason and stumbled upon the quilt.
As Becky has commmented in an earlier post - it is surprising how many of you took the position based on assumption, that the implication to these questions is that your choice is boring and the only 'correct' answer is to be 'an artist'. Nup. Way off base. The point of the exercise was to challenge you - make you think. Are you REALLY doing what you want to do? This installation has never been a judgement about your job - you have judged that yourselves, and revealed that through your answers to these questions. This installation has always been based on the commentary that people can and do use their job as their security, and as shown by the answers to the questions, the job they are currently doing is not always the 'one thing' that they really want to be doing.
So why do you stay?
And if you stay, do you take responsibility for your choice?
Anyhow, in the midst of all of this, there has been a vocal antiwar demonstration pass in front of the building. 
Michael came by and between us I think we can speak about 5 words of French! 
The Gang from Deloitte and Touche did an audit on the spot - Holly, Quinn, Meghan and Ben.
Brandon adopted the project early on, but it took a month before he cycled back to the chair. 
Erica has been watching this from the first day as well, along with Marsha Marsha Marsha and Michael is a poet and stained glass artist.
I was really thrilled when Jolly sat down and explained how her opinion of this project has changed 180 degrees - she is not the only one to have taken a journey as the rug has grown. 
Ben was visiting the building for another reason and came to enquire, stay and chat. It was one of those conversations that you want to go on for another cuppa at least! 
Kathy surprised me with her comment in the book, written in Czech, and of course we swapped stories about the Czech Republic. 
Molly and Peter re-acquainted themselves at the rug - and Peter's coat tried hard to be flourescent but it was a bit early I think.
Pamela spends all of her time making things, while Suzette was a sheer joy to visit with and see her reaction to the texture of the rug. 
Amber and Tracy are Court Clerks which are the judicial equivalents to Office Assistants I think. 
Tom came by from the Metro HQ, bringing some great ideas and enthusiasm. 
Robin speaks Australian, which is a higher language form that only a few of us have mastered! The fact that two of us have been in this building at the same time for a month, should be cause for concern. We are organizing....
In the midst of all of this, Mary Jo introduced me to the Mayor Tom Potter, who popped over for a fitting for his personal shawl (after I finish the one for Portlandia that is!)
Diane works with Drummond (who I don't have an image of, but who does consume Dorita's around 4 pm each afternoon. Drummond is off sick this week - bad Dorito!). 
Jamie is an ex-dancer and Cliff counts cars. 
Kenneth works in Commissioner Leonard's office in City Hall, just around the corner from 'Governor' Sam Adam's office.
Helen from RACC popped in - Brian the Brit came for a chat, even though is he 'old but not cold'.
Aimee is a member of an informal knitting group in the building and brought her work done. Talent! 
Christine, Tracy, Heather and Laurie are all from Eastern Oregon University, and are a group of women that display a healthy mix of Art and Business. What a hoot! And what a lively discussion was had about art and business et. al. 
Robyn is visiting from Washington DC although her heart is in the Pacific Northwest. 
Kathy came by enroute to First Thursday over at City Hall. We are practically neighbours, it turns out! She also told a story of how she lost her job due to Watergate. There is a lot more to all of this than what I can squeeze into this blog. :-)
One more post, and then off on my commute.
z
So, what do you REALLY want to do?
Most of you (willing and unwillingly) struggled with the answers, and described something that was an action or activity. Such as "I really want to open a small business, or to be xyz or to travel etc ....." Five people out of more than 400 gave an answer based on a value set, and came back to me to tell me how they had struggled with the questions simply because of this distinction between action and associations around that word "do". These typical replies were "I really want to be doing something that demonstrates my ability to be appreciative......" or "I really want to be more honorable....." or "I really want to be more aware of others.....". By viewing their life's work based on a value set, rather than an activity, they didn't struggle with the following questions. Try it - identify a value set rather than an action, and see how the questions line up congruently. See how these choices cascade through the other questions - "if there are 24 hours of existence left, what would you do?" And "if you had one year to live, what would you do?" Only one person gave me my own words back, literally letter for letter, and she is a visitor from Atlanta, who came to the lobby with her friend, also an artist, for an entirely different reason and stumbled upon the quilt.
As Becky has commmented in an earlier post - it is surprising how many of you took the position based on assumption, that the implication to these questions is that your choice is boring and the only 'correct' answer is to be 'an artist'. Nup. Way off base. The point of the exercise was to challenge you - make you think. Are you REALLY doing what you want to do? This installation has never been a judgement about your job - you have judged that yourselves, and revealed that through your answers to these questions. This installation has always been based on the commentary that people can and do use their job as their security, and as shown by the answers to the questions, the job they are currently doing is not always the 'one thing' that they really want to be doing.
So why do you stay?
And if you stay, do you take responsibility for your choice?
Anyhow, in the midst of all of this, there has been a vocal antiwar demonstration pass in front of the building. 
Michael came by and between us I think we can speak about 5 words of French! 
The Gang from Deloitte and Touche did an audit on the spot - Holly, Quinn, Meghan and Ben.
Brandon adopted the project early on, but it took a month before he cycled back to the chair. 
Erica has been watching this from the first day as well, along with Marsha Marsha Marsha and Michael is a poet and stained glass artist.
I was really thrilled when Jolly sat down and explained how her opinion of this project has changed 180 degrees - she is not the only one to have taken a journey as the rug has grown. 
Ben was visiting the building for another reason and came to enquire, stay and chat. It was one of those conversations that you want to go on for another cuppa at least! 
Kathy surprised me with her comment in the book, written in Czech, and of course we swapped stories about the Czech Republic. 
Molly and Peter re-acquainted themselves at the rug - and Peter's coat tried hard to be flourescent but it was a bit early I think.
Pamela spends all of her time making things, while Suzette was a sheer joy to visit with and see her reaction to the texture of the rug. 
Amber and Tracy are Court Clerks which are the judicial equivalents to Office Assistants I think. 
Tom came by from the Metro HQ, bringing some great ideas and enthusiasm. 
Robin speaks Australian, which is a higher language form that only a few of us have mastered! The fact that two of us have been in this building at the same time for a month, should be cause for concern. We are organizing....In the midst of all of this, Mary Jo introduced me to the Mayor Tom Potter, who popped over for a fitting for his personal shawl (after I finish the one for Portlandia that is!)
Diane works with Drummond (who I don't have an image of, but who does consume Dorita's around 4 pm each afternoon. Drummond is off sick this week - bad Dorito!). 
Jamie is an ex-dancer and Cliff counts cars. 
Kenneth works in Commissioner Leonard's office in City Hall, just around the corner from 'Governor' Sam Adam's office.
Helen from RACC popped in - Brian the Brit came for a chat, even though is he 'old but not cold'.
Aimee is a member of an informal knitting group in the building and brought her work done. Talent! 
Christine, Tracy, Heather and Laurie are all from Eastern Oregon University, and are a group of women that display a healthy mix of Art and Business. What a hoot! And what a lively discussion was had about art and business et. al. 
Robyn is visiting from Washington DC although her heart is in the Pacific Northwest. 
Kathy came by enroute to First Thursday over at City Hall. We are practically neighbours, it turns out! She also told a story of how she lost her job due to Watergate. There is a lot more to all of this than what I can squeeze into this blog. :-)One more post, and then off on my commute.
z
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