In the span of time between the end of summer classes, and the beginning of fall, there isn’t much activity in the hallways at work. Lately I haven’t seen anyone around but janitors, and the occasional shadowy professor or grad student ducking in and out of their cave-like basement offices. Yesterday, I was a little alarmed to encounter such a professor in the hallway. He and I have not formally met but I believe his name is Gregor Samsa. I haven’t really interacted with him much, preferring instead to skirt around him gingerly as he shuffles his way between offices.

Well, today it appears that he has fallen onto hard times. He lies prostrate on his back, belly up, the indignity of his condition exposed to the public - consisting of the janitors and myself, of course, but still quite humiliating. I am generally loath to intrude upon embarrassing scenes involving strangers, but I wondered if I shouldn’t help him get back on his feet.

A twin of my colleague. Just imagine this fellow upside down, splayed out on a shiny floor.

In any case, I don’t think that he has much time left on this floor, brief though our acquaintanceship has been! Somewhere in the distance, I hear the echoic swooshing of a floor sweeper.