revenge of the killer tomatoes 13

A startling article on CNN today reported that a top engineer at Toyota, who led the development of the hybrid Camry, died from overwork.  He clocked in more than 80 hours of overtime a month.

Death from overwork is so prevalent in Japan, the condition actually has a name: karoshi.  The Health Ministry is said to have recognized the phenomenon in 1987 and cases have steadily increased since then.

A terribly sad way to go.  The real tragedy isn’t in their death - it’s how they lived their lives outside work. 

Perhaps the 45-year-old Toyota engineer could have been the genius to break worldwide dependency on oil - if he allowed himself the “indulgence” of spending more time at home or on a BlackBerry-free vacation.

Years ago I lived in a one-room flat with a sofa-bed, an overloaded bookshelf, and a dining table that only saw hurriedly cooked, meatless spaghetti from a can, and pizza from a place that knew my dinner order by heart.  The condo unit was within 15 to 20 minutes from the office, convenient for those times when I could only drag my feet home from work. 

I would regularly spend 10 or 15 hours, sometimes more, at the office.  And every minute was stressful as hell.  A client once walked into our reception lobby and just stood there, watching lawyers pacing back and forth or frowning at computer screens, legal assistants running around like headless chickens, and messengers shuffling around boxes of documents.  He nearly had a heart attack just by looking at us.  I told him that he pays us to worry on his behalf.

I left that world. 

Every time I feel tempted to return to it, I remind myself of the simple thrills I now enjoy.  Skipping over to a 5-level bookstore a few minutes away.  Having a decent lunch with colleagues who talk about their families (whom they actually spend time with) and hobbies (which they actually engage in, not just purchase).  Dinner with long-time friends to review food, wine, films and art, rant about politics and crack up over old jokes and tales.  Browsing rows of fresh cut flowers at a nearby market.  Reading 2 books and a magazine simultaneously, none of which are related to work.  Calling Mom and Pop almost every night to regale them with my latest driving misadventures.  Plopping up on the couch at home for a DVD marathon with Hubby while our two dogs race to sit on my lap. 

I’m still a workaholic.  Still competitive.  But a different person. 

a month after i left my old job, a whole new world!

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 at 6:31 pm and is filed under home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.