Crossing the Threshold, Upon Re-entry: Sense-ational! SIS. 

The long road back - part 1 of 2 (there's still time, to turn back...)

"Upon reflection" Even as elementary, concrete as looking in the mirror, perhaps to shave, or at least "clean up a bit" prior to, after being called back to the office, space, you are anticipating, as in "sensing" a new level of scrutiny, wondering if anyone will notice, after being distanced and able to shroud yourself with various backgrounds during all the so-called platforms for video calls...And, in a more meta-physical sense, it's frequently only after, upon some contemplation of what you just saw, overheard...

"Oh, Hello there!" Only one of many, phrases you've practiced while prepping, mouthed, in the mirror, so as to at least look and sound sincere, in anticipation of, based on, what you have experienced upon entering or even returning a place you've been before, perhaps even frequented, which also, in turn (like new folks you might encounter here, there) which "reminds me of..." Upon association, that is, this, that, they, resemble, as in a "semblance"...Well...

"SIS"...So It Seems, as in how you perceive the situation..."The outward appearance or apparent form of some-thing, especially when REALITY is a whole different 'thing'..." On the other hand, when you, yourself, perhaps as early as approaching the "entrance ramp" -- well before you actually, in reality, experience the warm, perhaps a bit pretentious greeting upon actually, finally, crossing the threshold, of the New And Improved Office Space  -- if it doesn't include the one and only red stapler, the one featured in the actual feature, "Office Space" -- a satire, but approximation of our new reality, released on the threshold of the "New Millennium" -- then I'm not..."the least bit interested...". As if you've become thick skinned, in anticipation of either getting a cold shoulder, or getting heated around the water cooler (what a contrast in terms and experience, eh?) Yes, way before any of your cynical attitudes, formed in the crucible of your previous cubicle, are fully realized, upon re-entry, as you begin to a bit of informal "de-sensitization" of what the still referred to as "HR" ("What an Oxy-moronic term, as it's usually these "Human Resource" individuals, who cloak themselves in feigned sincerity, even as they draft and deliver a so-called "Individualized Correction Plan" which is just a first step in "showing me to the door") who will probably be the first to greet me, so I better be ready, keep my real thoughts to my Selfie...All this, while just beginning the long co-mute, the one you are sharing with what you start perceiving to be the "vast majority"...Or, at least it seems so...

"Go, Figure" Comma intentional, optional...to convey one or both, either/or, meanings, of what you are, about to experience...as in a commentary on a surprising situation, even one that "borders on the absurd"...perhaps one that includes just a hint of healthy cynicism, so as to not be too ass-tonished...And one that, when an exclamation point is added, might "ramp it up" a bit...whether your boss is emphasizing, after the "grand entrance" it's now time to "buckle down" and get back to business, after this long lay-over...shut-down...furlough...call it what you will, it's what we, the vast majority, will experience...or at least SIS, as we, the HUGE throng of co-muters share the roadways, once again...You just can't help, bit notice, the increase in volume -- first visually (an almost continuous, unbroken, as "far as the eye can see" line...of orange barrels) then, the A-T-F -- the "All-Too-Familiar" honks, screeching of tires, sirens, a literal inundation, assault on your senses (and what's that smell, like a constant skunky aroma, Ewww!)...Before you get too far into this, at least prior to what we psychologists refer to as the "half-way point" or "mark" if you'd rather, if you're one of those "the glass is..." individuals...What motivational psychologists sometimes refer to as the place, whether figure-ative, or quite literally, you figure, "well I've come this far, I'm more than half-way there...so..." There's still time, and less distance to return to the more familiar, "safe" place you've been working from all these months...

"You're Choice" As in PP..."what's your personal preference?" in color scheme, background...etc. etc. As in what you may have been asked by those dreaded kind (conflict in terms intentional here, as in oxy-moronic) folks from the HR department who have been tasked with forming what have traditionally referred to as "focused groups" that ostensibly are representative...to get a sense of...But here, in this context, as in when YOU or ME, after we have just started out, start feeling just byte of dread, consider, contemplate, whether WE should keep looking, inching forward (as we experience the first traffic jam, as if we haven't before) or decide, instead, to look in the rear-view...mirror...

"SOB" Or, more directively, deflective, "Save Your Breath" -- another line you've rehearsed, to pre-empt whatever warm -- more like "tepid" greeting you anticipate. Speaking of which, I'm inviting YOU and ME to right here and now, in the presence of great anticipation, of what you sense your senses will first tell your brain..."look out..." even prior to full absorption, let alone being able to take TTT...what may be a luxury at times, like when "dead-lines need to be met!" but others, when "resources are tight here" -- always good, nice to take "Time To Think" as in "process" all this...Before "there's no turning back...now" Well, SIS, as I just passed what traditionally, at least in the language of WOW, as we return to the World of Work, the day of the work week, that marks the half-way mark..."hump day" which, this particular week, coincided with day 2 of  Prime Time, which used to only consum-er, US one day but due, I guess to the HUGE range of HUGE price breaks, more than semi-affordable...just over 50%...

"JIT", delivery; Comma-tosed, once again?...after only just a few days back in the so-called work world, after you had already sustained the world of work, else-where...(the comma, btw, was again intentional, as a way to grab your attention as well as allow you to take a really short breath, on the way to...) As you, among zillions, who ordered stuff the past few days and have come to expect delivery within minutes, at least hours -- certainly we should, at the very least, be able to get it within the next 24...gotten spoiled, have we? This, while we ourselves, perhaps finding ourselves "running a few minutes behind"...come up with a new menu, of options, for making excuses...And, finally, as in the application of "delivery"..."Finally, I can be done with this...work week...this column..." Both of which, SIS, to have gone on too long, all-ready. But hang on, as you're more than half-way there...Certainly you can endure but one more day, another posting...as in...

Part 2: Reality Bytes, about 90%; POT