Score

The passage of time in gainful employment marks one in different ways; some beneficial, some damaging, and some utterly devastating.  While the monetary enrichment and personal relationships grant one both security and growth, and the physical degeneration from years of toil take their toll on the flesh; the moral degradation derived by exploitation of self and others can provoke the greatest changes to an individual.

For twenty years, I worked for the same company; through success and failure, hope and despair.  Observing the changes in myself and others proves difficult, as the incremental shifts in mind and body may seem stark in retrospect, but nearly invisible on a daily basis.  As I look back, I find it disconcerting to note the scars scored upon my personality, and the responses I have made.  Perhaps my reactions to the work environment display a weakness in character, or a failing of will; but how  does one best respond to a system of toxicity?