Fnord Incorporated

Charlie horse

I am sitting at work and notice my left leg has gone to sleep.
I flex my foot and calve, trying to get the pins and needles to subside.
I feel like the poster child for political/corporate immobilization tactics..
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Kept sitting in one position long enough that the numbness can set in, we find ourselves participating in a plan to consume, passify, justify the unjust, and push buttons/pull levers instead of working a machine designed by someone else, as opposed to one of our own design. Don’t worry, just sit it out. We will have a break soon. In the meantime, we are prompted to entertain ourselves, try to take our minds off the feelings we are experiencing. We all know waiting sucks though… so..

Once the numbness sets in, we are allowed the privilege of a choice:

1. Stay still and hope it gets better/goes away
2. Take steps to get the blood flowing properly again.

It is a catch 22. Either choice leaves us attached to the system. With the first, we could stay sitting, but need to flex, stretch, and reach out a little. Staying immobile will cause squirming or panic. We would become inefficient and lackadaisical. This inefficiency is what prompts us to lean towards option two. It feels natural, it is a reaction.. We can’t help but try to stand up. We even think it is your own idea, as opposed to a subtle Machiavellian tactic.

Standing, our thoughts begin fresh. We think “Hey! This isn’t so bad!”. It is not until 3 steps later, realizing what kind of trouble we are in, we find that we have left our support behind. With nothing nearby to lean on, the leg begins to jelly and can’t bear weight. There is a small throb. The throb felt is not in the leg, but in the dead weight that we used to think was our leg, until it betrayed us by siding with the mollification. It feels nice, this freedom of movement. We want to giggle at how foolish it was to stand up instead of waiting for our break, or letting the blood begin to flow first. The system was, after all, designed with be safest and best intentions in mind.

Experiencing the forgotten wobbly elasticity our bodies have, we immediately want to fall down again. You know what is coming next.

Pins and needles.
Alternate interpretations are welcomed.