robots vs. souls

Many of us work within systems where we struggle to retain our individuality, or humanity. I work as a nurse currently, and often there is a push to work faster, do more, talk less, to literally time our human interactions down to the minute, to be efficient. But in the corporate push for profitability is often lost our humanity.

I observe that many of our brightest brains easily become robots to a system. They are highly-degree'd people who follow orders very well. But don't do much thinking creatively, or socially - at work at least, or bring spirituality to their presence at work. 

And I refuse to follow suit. I refuse to walk out on a patient who's crying from a recent cancer diagnosis. I refuse to eliminate my greetings, or stop listening, or talk the efficient technical lingo above the mainstream's head, or clock in and clock out like a robot. Okay, some things I have to do. But the institution won't stomp out the sparkle in my eye. It won't stomp out the divine connection between people. It won't stomp out relationships. I won't become what I am not. 

Mythologist Joseph Campbell referred briefly to the biblical story of Jonah and the whale as the symbolic story of man struggling over being swallowed up by the institution - the large uncaring entity which is concerned mostly with self-propagation. Or the story of Star Wars' Luke Skywalker in the ship's garbage compactor struggling to not be assimilated in the mechanical belly. 

In place of becoming a robot, I defend my existence as a soul. I am conscious of what I value. I am conscious of the non-mundane in every person. I am conscious that sometimes the right thing to do is slow down. And tell a joke. And listen. And be there.

I am not a robot. I am a soul.