I never considered myself a spook, as in someone who takes note surreptitiously of another person's business. But technically I was a spy during the late unpleasantness in Southeast Asia (1968-1972). I was a terrible spy. I just wanted to read my book. I hope any information I failed to gather did not contribute to the fall of Saigon.
I was drafted out of college in 1968. I joined the Navy to avoid being sent in-country to kill people or perhaps be killed or dismembered myself. The Vietnamese had gone through decades of exploitation at the hands of the French and if they wanted a communist form of government after chasing the French out, good luck to them.
The Navy sent me to language school in California where I met Jack Crider. We were ordered next to the National Security Agency in Maryland with the knowledge that in a year or so we'd be sent in-country, not to kill, but to gather information. For the two weeks before we got our security clearances, we were sent to the bowels of the seven story NSA building to destroy classified information. There was a gigantic fiery furnace down there and we collected the classified material in chest high carts which we pushed back to the furnace. We had to jump inside the cart to pitch the documents into the furnace. They must have a better system now.
After we got our clearances we were sent upstairs to offices where we essentially pushed paper. After six months Jack got sick of this and volunteered to go overseas early, where he gathered information in a sportier environment. Six months later I was ordered to the Philippines where I continued my job as a paper pusher. They kept talking about sending me in-country but my obvious lack of commitment made those in charge think twice.
I lost touch with Jack, but thanks to social media we got in contact a few years ago. I learned that after a year and a day overseas, Jack flew to Seattle for discharge. Unfortunately it was Thanksgiving so he sat in the empty barracks for five days watching the rain come down.
After bouncing around awhile, Jack eventually found meaningful work and a wife in Salt Lake City. He's now retired near sunny Palm Springs, California. While talking to Jack recently, I learned there had been a spooks' reunion back in Maryland. I had not been invited. I hadn't been much of a spook. I blame the Navy for that. They failed to take advantage of my degree in English literature. I would have made an excellent Librarian's Mate, 3rd class, or even a Book Critic, junior grade.
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| Rule 1: Pretend to be reading a book. |
As a woman who grew up in the 50s. I am familiar with pedal pushers. Alas, I don’t know what it means to be a paper pusher. I’m guessing that you are not referring to pushing paper into a furnace, or pushing paper down a toilet, or like a janitor across the floor. Please say more.
ReplyDeleteTeapoetry, you're kidding about the "paper pusher," right? Just in case, as one who was a paper pusher for over 30 years in corporate America, I feel qualified to venture a general definition - in a personal sense. But first, let me give you the short answer: a paper pusher is one who makes sure to look like they are working, but in reality are not, and couldn't care less about what crosses their desks - and nobody else cares either, although they feigned interest - just in case. So, a paper pusher is one who handles paper (nowadays computer and paper) pushing it with alacrity to the recipient, to recycle, to file cabinets, and to ringbinders - just in case.
ReplyDeleteBack to those 30 years which were all spent in finance and accounting, perhaps the greatest paper pushing discipline (? department?) of all corporate functions. In those early days, we did everything on green ledger paper as no computers were yet on the market for small businesses. Ergo, when I finished my reports each week or month, I would "push the paper over my boss' desk for him to assess. Neither of us gave a rat's behind.
By the time I moved on to Buck Knives as finance and accounting manager, small PCs had entered my world. But no less paper as the reports were printed on greenbar computer paper and pushed up or down to the persons who would ostensibly use them, but generally did their own pushing. So far, the product of my work was paper reports, barely valued by their recipients as I continued to push paper at them.
NOW! That is the origin of the term, but there is more in the more modern sense. Managers and some of their subordinates soon became enamored of both computer-generated and paper reports. (Note: Although most business reporting is now done computer-to-computer, as a tactile-loving species, we still do an awful lot of printing. We also love putting things in folders and filing same in cabinets.)
Back to the evolution of paper pusher. Corporate types reached a zenith of paper production somewhere in the 1970s, give or take a decade. Now after all that, here's the crux: paper reports became so pervasive that they were likely to be routinely ignored. That's one step in the ongoing evolution of paper pushing. This lack of attention resulted in paper crossing desks and being pushed directly into the recycle bin. Following that, workers generally fell into a daze of swirling pages. Still, diligent types attended to the reports, letters, spreadsheets, exhibits, and memos. Yet, the greater population just wanted to push the paper away. Soon ennui sent in, along with greater lack of attention and commitment. That lead to the next and current state of affairs: rather than doing productive work, people could be seen holding paper reports (later staring at screens) as if they cared, when in reality they were pushing the information (for this scenario, in paper form) on to the next person, or more likely again, into the recycle bin - or just in case, filing the paper in folders for unlikely future reference.
After all that, the definition on the street fits what The Chairman alludes to: a worker who sits at their station looking busy, but in reality creating output (esp. in the form of paper) that will be distributed to one or more other workers who make like they are busy with whatever is on their paper (screens), but in reality their glazed stare, or in The Chairman's case, the book in hands belies their true occupation: paper pusher.
Th-th-that's all folks. Comments, stories, and other interpretations gleefully welcome.
That's all very interesting and rather relative to my experience in two of my previous work environments (minus paper requirements). My position and duty was to provide progress reports (via software programs only; if my boss wanted to print it, that was up to him, but why would he? The departmental report was also given via big screen software presentation, I can only assume to process and take memorable notes?), just as your report providing experience mentioned. As you said, the duty was not ultimately cared about, which, to me, is the root cause of ennui. Even my concrete data made no changes for the employees' and company's benefits. I found one of these positions to be so disheartening that I ended up quitting. Who can dismiss truthful data and not back it up for the company's continuous improvement's sake? That's insane to me!
DeleteThat disheartening led me into my second position with even more responsibilities for reporting (again, via software presentations; paper was never requested). Because of the lack of care for the company and people at the previous position, I went into this one full-blown to do what was best for the employees' experience and overall workdays. I provided the same type of concrete data, with the same type of progress of improvements. This position didn’t dishearten me; I was able to provide those effective changes this time. I was actually thrilled about it. But soon and sporadically enough, they dismissed my employment with no previous verbal or written disciplinary actions filed. Odd, isn't it?
All because of software reports with better-than-before numbers on them. Is it odd? I had the care and my team loved what I was accomplishing... did I miss something? No. That was the reason, because I cared for the people I was managing. The ones not managed well before.
I figure the next best route is to report to myself if only to avoid another such career-altering devastation, being held back to make good effective changes, all because of 'fixated titles above me'.
For the well-being of my future career path and positioning, its all about effective audicity. Something not so odd, thank God!
Thank you for the invitation to share my experience within the current corporate unfortunes with hope attached. :)
Mr. Chairperson - reading my comment above should keep you occupied during your travels. I make no apologies for its length. JackPine Savage
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