"Beware of Vacation Time!"
Google Movie Synopsis:
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes winter caretaker at
the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer's block. He
settles in along with his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and his son, Danny
(Danny Lloyd), who is plagued by psychic premonitions. As Jack's writing goes
nowhere and Danny's visions become more disturbing, Jack discovers the hotel's
dark secrets and begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on
terrorizing his family.
Scenario:
Wendy walks into the room where Jack has been typing and
working on his project. After flipping through
a stack of papers of Jack’s work, she notices on every page has the line “All
work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
Selected Scene:
Jack: You are concerned about him.
Wendy: Yes
Jack: And are you concerned about me?
Wendy: Of course I am!
Jack: Of course you are! Have you ever thought about my responsibilities?
Wendy: Oh Jack, what are you talking about?
Jack: Have you ever had a single moment's thought about my responsibilities? Have you ever thought, for a single solitary moment about my responsibilities to my employers? Has it ever occurred to you that I have agreed to look after the Overlook Hotel until May the first? Does it matter to you at all that the owners have placed their complete confidence and trust in me, and that I have signed a letter of agreement, a contract, in which I have accepted that responsibility? Do you have the slightest idea what a moral and ethical principal is? Do you? Has it ever occurred to you what would happen to my future, if I were to fail to live up to my responsibilities? Has it ever occurred to you? Has it?
Business Tip:
I don’t need to tell you how competitive today’s job market
has become. Flexible hours,
telecommuting options, and managerial work responsibilities are now at the top
of the list for newbies in the workforce.
The traditional 2-weeks per year vacation model is under scrutiny because so
many people are opting not to take vacation. As an example, just recently a
well-known tech company is even exploring the concept of unlimited vacation
time for their staff (which by the way is kinda like a wolf in sheep’s clothing
thing). Taking extended time off from work can do you more harm than good. You run the risk of having a colleague step
up and assume some of your responsibilities, you can miss valuable meetings
such as an annual staff gathering or strategic planning session, and there is a
growing perception that vacations are for slackers. I don’t necessarily
disagree with these points, especially if you are in the first 2-3 years of
your job. If this is your case, it might make better sense to “bank” the vacation
time for an emergency (ex., unplanned termination, invite for a special trip across
the seas with family/friends or maybe a cousin's wedding in Australia). Unless you are done proving your worth to
your manager and colleagues, you need every advantage you can get to do
whatever it takes to solidify your role within the company. Why take a vacation if you are not able to
fully enjoy the break? How much can you really relax in 5 days if you are
flying somewhere? With unfinished work on your mind, it’s almost impossible.
So, the argument against this is the old saying of needing to “re-charge your batteries.” Well, that’s what three-day weekends are for! Again, if you’ve been on the job for a while, sure take that extended trip to the Caribbean. But if you're still trying to break down a few doors like Johnny . . . just think twice about taking that trip to Colorado!
So, the argument against this is the old saying of needing to “re-charge your batteries.” Well, that’s what three-day weekends are for! Again, if you’ve been on the job for a while, sure take that extended trip to the Caribbean. But if you're still trying to break down a few doors like Johnny . . . just think twice about taking that trip to Colorado!
