Why I Like My Cube

In the series “Why I Like …,” we are covering my cube today. It’s one of the things I really like next to my bike and the eBay bus of course.

I spent many hours in an office by myself at the law firm I used to work for. My clients could almost hear the loneliness in my voice when I talked to them over the phone. I became socially inapt and I don’t know whether it was because of the absurdly long and exhausting days or because of my secluded office life. When I moved to eBay, I wondered whether my ego would be flexible enough for a cube without a ceiling or a door. Luckily, I took an immediate liking to my cube and my pod mates. I promptly loved the buzzing around me with breaks of silence and ultimate concentration. It put me right there out in the world and that was not a bad thing.

I’d show you a picture of my beloved cube, but I don’t know whether company policy would allow me. I’ll tell you what it looks like. It’s at least 8 x 8 feet or maybe even bigger. No, HR is not exactly stingy when it comes to allocating cube space. I can even walk around in my cube; I have little locker cabinets, walls and even a window. There is no ceiling though and no door either.

This afternoon, I didn’t know what I heard when I was on the phone with opposing counsel.

“One second please, I am closing my door.”

What? This guy had a door? I hadn’t heard of doors in almost five years. Ha! I had just unmasked a phony Internet lawyer! What the heck was that? Offices with doors are the new cubes? No one has to sneak into a meeting room anymore with an air of gravity? No more “Can I talk to you for a sec?” I can’t believe it! Everyone at this company – everyone, I kid you not – has a cube. I thought that was how it’s supposed to be in Silicon Valley.

But, everyone has their moments of weakness… Next time I am on a call, I might just say “Let me close my door.” Maybe the guy today did exactly that. Now that I come to think of it; I am sure he didn’t have a door either! And who cares that there is no door? These days, you can’t be too difficult. It could be worse. You could be working for BP.