Dear Baya,

                  I find it odd how much time I seem to spend taking exams, filling in forms and going to meetings. Why do I have to do all this? And why are there so many people around just organizing other people to do things? Surely we don’t need all these petty rules and regulations interfering in our lives, do we? What is this all about?

Anyway, it’s an odd word ‘bureaucracy’. Where does it come from?

     Why does the amount of paperwork and clip-board people seem constantly to expand? And in the face of this rising tide what can I do to preserve my time and freedom?

     Why am I constantly being asked to account for everything, to ‘audit’ my life, to make everything transparent so that people can check on everything, inspect everything as if they didn’t  trust me? Why are there constant exams and tests? And why are there so many people warning us of risks and trying to stop us doing anything adventurous?

Could you explain this as I seem to be growing up in a world where we are in danger of drowning in rules and meetings. Could you show me what parts of bureaucracy are necessary and useful, which are like a spreading disease.

      This might help me to keep some freedom amidst the red tape. I might avoid the prying eyes of suspicious and officious people constantly dedicated to close me in an ‘iron cage’ (a nice phrase I heard on the radio – someone called Weber said it I think).

            Lots of love,