E for Effort

Oh. E for EFFORT.

At a workplace called the 'Professional World of Words', ‘Effort’ was the tiniest of all. Not in the number of letters, but worth. A small word. The majority, especially ‘Everyone’, from top to bottom, considered it useless. However, ‘Effort’ was always careful, and came to visit only the ones who had a big heart, affection for the workplace, and were polite. The ones who were dedicated, invested a lot of time to ensure others’ happiness and comfort, were ethical in their personal and professional lives, were loyal to the core, were honest and transparent, and were responsible, caring, loving, and devoted – even if ‘No one’ noted or cared. In this subtle World of Words, ‘Effort’ wasn’t considered worth anything, and hence spent time with three of his colleagues, ‘Output’, ‘For’ and ‘Granted’. So, ‘Effort’ was being taken ‘For Granted’ and ‘Output’ was achieved ‘Anyway’. ‘Responsibilities’, ‘Blames’ and ‘Overload’ adored ‘Effort’ and kept chasing him – all the time.

No matter how intense, lengthy, and hectic the ‘Effort’ was, ‘No one’ measured or respected ‘Effort’. The findings showed that ‘Effort’ should have been equally proportionate to the bigger words. The words which hitherto set an example of their long-term alliance with ‘Effort’ and ‘Outputs’. These were Acknowledgement, Appreciation, Motivation, Encouragement, Exposure, Protection, Security, and Appraisals. However, ‘No one’ realized that the bigger words had lately started snubbing ‘Effort’, because ‘Anyone’ who discovered ‘Effort’ being associated with the bigger words, complained to a panel.

This panel comprised of ‘Gender’, who suffered the most; Age, who was always dominated by the others – especially the junior, and Grade and Politics, who were having an affair with the Supreme book of Rules and the lengthy list of Guidelines, respectively. The latter two-panel members often had inner conflicts with Gender and Age, and hence they used to report to the chief ‘Milord Ethics & Logic’. The ‘Milord’ knew it all – and ‘Order’ worked with him.

Whenever ‘Order’ came out of the Milord’s file cabin, ‘Everyone’ hugged ‘Jealousy’ – for Milord’s ‘Order’ had its assistant, ‘Importance’, which ‘Everyone’ wanted, even if they lacked ‘Competency’. ‘Importance’ felt safe and sound with ‘Effort’. However, they had a complicated relationship, which dwelled on Ethics & Logic’s ‘Order’.

The panel kept broadcasting the statements without consulting with Milord, and at times ‘Someone’, ‘Few’, ‘Everyone’, and ‘Many’ got erased. However, ‘No One’ realized that Effort never backed down. And of course, Milord didn’t know, and neither did he share this with ‘Order’.

‘Gender’ was neutral and was exhausted from being compelled to quit. One day, ‘Gender’ was demeaned for taking a leave, for she could rather sit with her baby