America is a concrete jungle densely populated with offices and office furniture. We are a nation of sitters, and we pride ourselves on the fancy seats that hold our posteriors. From law offices to medical centers; restaurants to call centers, workers everywhere are sitting down on the job.
Office chairs are the most common, as office furniture goes. Secretaries, dispatchers, operators and computer technicians roll from station to station on spider-legged contraptions with wheels and adjustable backs. It’s no wonder that our society is getting bigger and bigger with each generation. Knee surgeries and hip replacements are commonplace among the retired. Why? Maybe it has something to do with the years of leading a sedentary lifestyle combined with the box of donuts in every office break room.
Company seniority warrants fancier office furniture. Executives sit in executive chairs with high backs and leather upholstery. They make executive decisions from their executive chairs while their muscle-tone turns to flab. Most offices now contain gyms or offer gym private memberships so employees can work out after a day of work. Few employees take advantage of it though. Apparently sitting and thinking is exhausting.
What will American offices look like in the future? Will office chairs be motorized like the scooters that obese people use to navigate grocery aisles? Will executive chairs shuttle company bigwigs down sidewalks to the corner restaurant for lunch? Maybe office chairs will replace our current commuter traffic. They will be fully equipped with horns and turn signals. Sound ludicrous? Sit down and let’s think about it!