Twilight Zone Episode 1 - Return to the Work Force

I used to love the television show "The Twilight Zone." I enjoyed all episodes but was the biggest fan of the black and white ones from back in the 1960's. I, of course, only saw those in reruns and didn't get to see them all. My favorites were when the main character would awaken from a nap or come home from work and find that some elements of their life were as they should be while other elements were very different. It would take them a while to try and put their finger on what was amiss and the nagging feeling that haunted them in each episode was part of the suspense. The supporting characters would continue to act as if the turmoil was all in the main character's mind. Clearly everything is as it should be - why are YOU causing trouble. It was all so surreal and psychologically confusing.

My parents rarely monitored what I watched on television in the hour I was allowed to stay up later than my siblings. I doubt they would have approved of my love of "The Twilight Zone." I would have trouble sleeping after watching an episode and would lie awake in bed listening to my sister snore. I'd wonder what would happen when I awoke, would everything be the same? Was reality what I perceived it to be in the first place? Naturally, I'd eventually fall asleep and when I woke up my twelve year old life was as it was the day before. My adult life, however, seems more like the "Twilight Zone" everyday.

I returned to the work force this week. As I previously posted this company came to me. I probably would have waited another month or so to look for a job of any type if they hadn't. There are a couple reasons this company pursued me. The first being my reputation for getting things done and the second being that several former coworkers are currently employed there. They would be the supporting characters in this episode for clearly I am the star. The two main supporting characters I used to work with are a guy I worked with for three years at two other companies, MB, and another guy I worked with for two years, SH. So, MB, SH, and I are falling into some old patterns and it's feeling like old times. Except I haven't worked with either of them for more than two years. It's actually been three years since I worked with MB.

So, I find myself feeling awkward. I was hired because of the experience I've gained in the past three years and both MB and SH know this. They actually keep turning to me and expecting me to address problems based on this experience but our relating to one another is falling back into old habits. Some of which show no respect for knowledge I might possess now. I was pretty green when I first started working with each of them 7 years ago. There are moments where they seem to be stuck on that version of me - and treat me as the person I was 7 years ago. While the majority of our interactions do not bother me it has all seemed so surreal. In addition to the job being more stressful than I was led to believe I have the distinct impression that I've gone back in time some how. Like I'm stuck in a parallel universe to where my life was just a mere week ago. Like I've woken up in "The Twilight Zone." I can't explain it and that's what makes it even more "TTZ" like. It's this constant nagging feeling that something is amiss and needs to be rectified. Exactly what it is, and how to address it, I don't know yet. But it seems to be only me that has this unease, all the supporting characters think things are perfectly normal. Again, very TTZ-ish. Is all the turmoil in my mind? Is it me? I don't honestly know.

Needless to say, the first week has been somewhat of a tumble down the rabbit hole. Will it get better? Will I gain clarity? Will the less stressful job they promised materialize? Only time will tell but how I wish this were a thirty minute episode to be resolved in short order.