and you go looking for a greasy pole to climb
to earn some money
because you need to buy things
like...
accomodation
food and drink
and a mobile phone
a sort of Maslow's Hiarachy of Needs - but for modern times
those are the important things
the things you must have
and so you leap full tilt at the first greasy pole you see
not the greasy pole of your interests
your qualifications - if you have any
your hopes and dreams
just the nearest greasy pole you can find
and you cling on tightly
scrambling hard try to avoid slipping down
or falling off completely
if you manage to hang on at all
you try to climb
but a greasy pole is hard to climb
ah but wait!
maybe you lept onto the wrong greasy pole
maybe that's why it was so hard to climb!
So you jump across onto another greasy pole
and another
and another...
until you find one where you can hang on
and you can avoid slipping down
or falling off
one you can hold your place on
one,
maybe you can climb
after all - you have been on several greasy poles now
you've got some experience
and you have been able to hold your ground on this particular greasy pole
and so
you have been able to buy things
some of those important things - like a mobile phone!
and then you think
this new greasy pole doesn't seem as greasy
for
on this particular pole
you've been able to climb - a bit
and they've given you more responsibility
they aren't paying you any more - yet
but you're sure they will
and so you start to climb
and you climb
and you think that this one maybe is the one for you
and they do - eventually
give you more money
a little more
every month
allowing you to save - well save a little
OK spend most of it
and you don't really feel like you have more money than before
especially as your workload has increased
but you are still on this particular greasy pole
and climbing it
so you climb
and earn more
so you have more to spend
so you spend more
you buy a new car
you buy a house
you take foreign holidays
and work harder
and earn more
...and 'round
and 'round you go
and you meet someone
maybe they are also clinging to this particular greasy pole
and maybe you move in together
in an attempt to save money
but you don't
so you work harder
to pay for it all
and you have kids
and so your partner has to hop off this particular greasy pole for a while
and so you have to climb higher
and earn more...
and more...
and then...
one day
one day you wake up
it might be several years into your working life
and you might have made it in your life - so you think
you might be at the top of your particular greasy pole
you might not be
you might have slipped down every greasy pole you've ever been on
you might have grown-up children who are also starting to look for a greasy pole to hold on to
you might not have
but you wake up this particular day
one day like all the rest
and you look around
at all you've worked hard for
you reflect on all those greasy poles you've managed to climb
all those ones you've slipped from
and you think
about all that grease you're are now covered in
from all those greasy poles
...and you think
...and you think - you think
...what the hell was all that about?!
