Mammonistas

"Mammon

• noun wealth regarded as an evil influence or false object of worship.

— ORIGIN New Testament Greek mamonas, from an Aramaic word meaning ‘riches’; see Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6 and Gospel of Luke, chapter 16."

From http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/mammon?view=uk

2 nights ago I catered an event. It was a sales celebration by one of the largest software/internet communications companies in the world. The router through which I am writing this has this company's name on it.

200+ people stuffed into the Old Federal Reserve Bank building to be told that so-and-so sold 126+% of goal and whosit sold such and such and over and over again for 3 hours. An hour less than planned. They should have ditched the bamboo seating and brought in prayer rugs and a huge neon dollar sign. People could have a few drinks at the bar and then come and pray to the only fucking god they know, the only piece of this godforsaken planet they have any stake in.

At the time, I had a message on my phone from someone who wanted to chat about a sales position that I might like to take. It happens that this is a company and a product line that I would be very happy to represent, except . . . except that I can't go to any more dinners like the one above as anything other than a caterer. Can't do it. I can't sit there with some piece of "cheap, landfill plastic"(a catering colleague) corporate souvenir(these are always handed out) and cheer for all the money that is going to fill the hole in these people's souls.(Yes: one hole, many souls)

I am no longer living 'up to my potential'. Again. I spent many years, happy ones, not living up to my potential and a few unhappy ones trying to live up to it.

The next day I returned the call to the sales position's voice mail and told him that I was 'not a viable candidate at this time'. Fuck it. Life is way too short to live like this.

I knew something was wrong long ago. It is still wrong.