Chair

This is just a chair. It’s an ordinary office chair, blue with black plastic arms. It was delivered to my house sometime last July.

One day, back in March 2020, we were told to start working from home. For a couple weeks, I sat on a dining chair at the dinner table for all my working hours. Then PY’s company closed their office and working at the communal table seemed unfair. We spent a weekend making our respective ‘offices’ in different rooms in the house. Furniture was moved around, clutter placed in drawers, computer stands ordered, we hoped the internet connection would cope.

I spent three months sat on a chair that was designed for occasional use in a home office and the hydraulic seat riser would occasionally give up and I’d sink slowly. Each day began with a slightly worse back ache than the previous day but decent, reasonably priced, office chairs were unobtainable. I persevered.

One day an email popped into my work inbox - the company could send a chair if something more supportive was needed. I jumped at the opportunity. A week or so later a box arrived.

The box was battered and broken. There was a large metal part sticking out of the box in a way that would have prevented the Post Office from delivering. Luckily, the courier didn’t care. I feared for the contents but when I opened the box the components looked undamaged. I followed the instructions and assembled a chair. I’ve been using that chair every working day since sometime in July. It’s much more robust, more comfortable, doesn’t collapse and my back aches less.

To comply with fire and safety regulations I am not supposed to remove the sticker from the back of the chair but it was never stuck properly and fell off each day. I stuck it to my desk instead. It warns me not to use the chair as a stepladder.

I suspect I will be using this ordinary chair for many more months. I promise to follow the instruction not to stand on it. I should follow the instruction to test the bolts every few months.

My back is grateful.