Sometimes people aren’t copying.

Sometimes they’re just breathing the same office air, absorbing the same corporate messaging, and reaching for the same fantasy: a place where your biggest problem is whether the lazy river is too lazy.

Also, sometimes they are absolutely copying.

The second corporate says “be authentic,” everyone starts searching for the approved version of authentic. Then they write it down neatly and hope nobody asks a follow-up.

So here’s my reflection:

We are trying to stay human in a system that rewards sameness. We want to be original, but safe. Honest, but still covered by dental. Rested, but only in ways that sound like a deliverable, because that’s the only language this building respects.

Maybe my department isn’t really saying “waterpark.”

Maybe they mean: “We’re tired. We want joy that isn’t scheduled. We want one day where the only surprise is a splash, not an curt email.”

I can work with that.

I cannot, for budget reasons, work with a wave pool.

Donna