For me, returning to the office is not just a policy

first person

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It’s 6:40 a.m. on a Tuesday. The commuter train pulls out of the station, gliding into the pale light of dawn. The car is quiet. A young woman near the window is absorbed in her book. Across the aisle, someone has dozed off. I have my earbuds in, listening to the audiobook Go od Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt, letting the ideas prepare my brain for the day ahead. Outside, the city of Toronto is slowly waking up.

I’ve had jobs that kept me in the office late into the night. I’ve had seasons of remote work where time felt endless. I have driven long hours on highway 401, Spotify turned up loud, counting the kilometres from the west