Am I normal? Or is mostly everyone else crazy?- Unable to fit into America's corporate structure.

Note: This is my opinion. Do not be offended. If you are- Oh, well.

    It's a question that I ask myself all the time, especially after family gatherings or conversations with friends and hearing about their lives, and in particular, their working lives.

    Am I normal? Or is mostly everyone else crazy? Why had I been uncomfortable in the day-to-day of America's corporate culture for my entire life? Why have I always been awkward and unhappy with the traditional "9 to 5?" Why have I always questioned the so-called norms of employment and corporate culture? I don't know if I lack the spirit or have too much of it to assimilate.

    I have worked "corporate." jobs. And when I think about those jobs or people who work such jobs, I question myself. How come something that works for so many people doesn't work for me? How come I can't go into the office at 8:30 am, take my lunch at 12:30 pm and then leave at 5:30?

    How come I don't get nervous when the manager or the regional VP, or the CEO makes an appearance? Nervous that any misstep or wrong lunch order may derail my advancement. Am I missing that piece of DNA?

    Some people can not function in what society has labeled "American Corporate Culture." I have accepted that I am one of those people. I'm not disrespecting or condemning those who love, enjoy, and function well in the typical corporate structure. It is just that how my brain operates, this does not work well for me.

    It doesn't make sense that just because an employer pays you a certain amount, they believe they should be available beyond the typical workday. How many times have you hear in a job description or an interview, "This isn't a normal 9-5?"  That this should be accepted as a badge of honor. That the work can infringe on your personal life and health, but your personal life and health should not infringe on the job. How many emails, texts, and calls have you received from your employer after 6 pm? Or on the weekends, or when you are on vacation? Now think about what happens if you use the corporate time to conduct your personal business and how that is frowned upon. They can have your time, but you better not take theirs. Doesn't make sense to me.

    Now some professions need to be on call: Doctors and medical professionals, some attorneys, emergency workers, some IT professionals, and engineers. But for the most part, the rest do not. For the most part, the "partnership" between employee and employer is unbalanced and one-sided. Just because I am salaried does not mean you own my services beyond the reasonable workday.

    The imbalance, the politics, hiring consultants to create company "values." that the company often disregards. The disingenuous interactions and inspirational posts and emails. For me, trying to function within this is almost like losing a piece of myself.

    It took me a while, but I have come to accept that I function at my best running my own business with my own structure and rules that mesh with my lifestyle and who I am as a person. And for that, I should not be ashamed—different strokes for different folks.

    The next time my friends are telling stories about joy, sadness, or conflict at their place of employment. I  need to sit back and enjoy those stories. I shouldn't feel self-conscious about my lack of corporate assimilation. I need to accept that we are all different and we all thrive in  our own level of comfort.

    There's nothing wrong with me. What's wrong with you?