When the TV show "The Office" made its debut I had zero interest it watching it. It was the same way with the movie "Office Space." There was absolutely nothing about either of these that was appealing to me. I worked in the private sector, had my own office with four walls, a window and a door that had a lock on it. I couldn't relate to a bunch of depressed people who arrive to work in a cattle call punching in and out for their hourly wage.

Then something very odd happened. Gas rose to $4 a gallon. I landed in the hospital once a year for five years. My child started to be interested in extra-curricular activities and I decided I just couldn't handle commuting more than an hour each way every day.

I loved my job, adored the people I worked with, felt respected and valued, and had a boss that didn't suck. (Trust me, I've had a lot of sucky bosses. There is much to be said for a boss that doesn't suck thank you very much.) So it was quite a culture shock when I applied for a job that was located a fraction of the distance away from home and got hired very quickly.

What a difference.

I am now living in the land of the cubicle. It is a strange land filled with tiny squares of space divided by cloth-covered walls. People line up at the coffee machine as if their lives depended on it. I suddenly feel the need to rent, borrow or buy every season of "The Office" just to educate myself about the unfamiliar territory I am now walking in. I am dealing with a whole new set of rules, job tasks, co-workers (and their personalities), space logistics and other variables that I did not count on.

Unlike my last job where I felt like I had a handle on everything, I now feel so unsure of all of my skills and talents. I wondered if I was the only person who felt like this. Then I realized, there are 4.2 million people who work in the clerical field. These are jobs like receptionist, administrative assistant, executive secretaries and the like. This doesn't even include other professions that operate in cubicles like accountants, customer service representatives, and a million other jobs.

That being said, I figure there are lots of other people who live in the land of the cubicle. I would love to hear from you. Tell me about your jobs. Tell me about your experiences. Give me hope or depress the hell out of me. I don't care which, just let me know what I have to look forward to as I settle in.