Messengers aren’t going away they’re going the way of the paper boy, the TV repair man, the milkman and the doctor who made house calls. Daily papers are going away and from the comments regarding the P-I article about messengers, it appears most people won’t be sorry to see us fade away. However some people have voiced their concern about the loss of human contact, of actual human interaction in this electronic age.
In an office environment of fluorescent lights behind large plastic panels among acoustic tiles in a drop ceiling, everyone and everything has a sickly pale sheen. The lights give off an audible hum nobody notices. Paired with the drone of the ventilation system it creates a dull white noise forming a the background to a long boring office workday filled with beeps, chirps, squeals, whines, murmurs and buzzes. Breathing recycled air.
Actual conversations are stilted and brief. Filled with phrases like got your email, got your text, shoot me an email, text me when you find out. Conversations of any length usually concern the weather, the game last night, American Idol, or the new season of Survivor. Most of the day is filled with phone calls, intercom blurbs, IM pop-ups, and loads of email.
In walks a messenger. Glowing, shining, sweating, radiating the energy of physical labor. Smelling like freedom. A strange mix of sweat, teriyaki chicken, beer, Old Spice and chain lube. She sometimes throws down the package and runs. She sometimes needs the signature of the CEO or to serve the Registered Agent personally. No she’s not your Bucky. No she doesn’t want to have a seat and read a magazine. Yes she’d like some water. No it’s not raining. No she wouldn’t want your job on a day like this.
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