The End Approaches
The mark of the worn crew member manifests by way of docility. Take for instance this morning. I sat in the crew bar doing computer work while the TV remained turned on at an annoying volume. All five crew members sitting in the room shared no interest in the TV, but none of us displayed enough motivation to stand up and turn down the volume. Living on a ship requires that one be immersed in a sea of inconsistencies and absurd processes which never improve. Most of us have energy initially to correct some of this, but as the weeks wear on, we get tired. Another funny example involves the mess hall. When putting the plates, silverware, and trays in the dispenser, the order of this makes no sense. The stack of trays does not sit at the end of this line dispensing but in the middle. This requires you to carry cups and napkins by hand to their final destination as a result of this disparity.
The last week has encouraged my enthusiasm for my journey homeward bound. My new roommate and I appear to be opposites in nearly every possible way. While I travel extremely light, he seems to have everything with him including a water purifier, a stereo system, and plastic cups and crap that I cannot readily identify. He likes to listen to CNBC news all day, which has the reputation of being like Fox news but exposing liberal politics instead of conservatism. Let’s just say it gets old hearing it, so I try to stay out of the room. He also happens to be from Florida, so using the air conditioner does not suit him much. It got a little worse when he became sick with a fever. Convinced that the ventilation in the room made him sick, he never wanted any air in the room at all. Then just when I thought things had hit rock bottom, our toilet stopped working! Now it’s fixed, but I cannot hide the fact that I kiss my airplane ticket everyday that is currently hanging on the cabin wall. All joking aside, we get along quite well despite our differences, but I really wouldn’t want to be here much longer than my departure date.