Date: April 27, 2025

Author: Riley K. Lawson

I know this sounds messed up, but every day, I secretly wish for some sort of massive disruption—something to shake things up and cancel my workday. I’m not talking about anything catastrophic, obviously—nothing that would hurt anyone—but maybe a state-wide power outage or a minor earthquake. Something big enough to shut things down, but not cause harm to people. Just enough to make my job not a priority for a day.

I know it sounds horrible, and I can’t help but feel guilty about it. But honestly, I’m so burnt out. I hate my job so much, and taking sick days or asking for time off just doesn’t feel like it would solve anything anymore. I need something that’s out of my control, something that forces me to take a break. It’s like I need a full reset, and I know it’s crazy, but it’s been weighing on my mind.

It’s not that I want something terrible to happen. I just want the weight of work to lift, even if it’s just for a day. The thought of being able to just breathe for a moment feels like the only thing that could give me a break.

I feel stuck in a loop, and I don’t know how to escape it. But if I’m being honest, I don’t even know if I want to fix things—I just need a break from this grind.