Maybe You Had to Be There
The office hosted a pizza party lunch as a send off to a departing co-worker. Our newest employee wasn’t familiar with the Guest of Honor and asked me for some background. I described him as “the quiet one” having heard no more than three words out of this man’s mouth in the 4 months that I have worked here. He keeps to himself, he is almost always holed up in his own office and you rarely see him conversing with anyone in the halls or in the kitchen. He’s just a quiet, reserved sort of person.
At the party, people were asking him about his new position (at a branch office of ours) and what sorts of projects he’ll be working on. I have no doubt this "party" was his worst nightmare. A room of 25 people all focused on HIM. His answers were extremely brief, often just one word and barely audible. I served as the speakers, as I was sitting next to him, repeating nearly everything he said for the rest of the room to hear. It’s not that he’s unhappy, he’s just QUIET.
One of our more garrulous co-workers tried to get the Guest of Honor to give a little speech in recognition of his last day with us. She finally conceded and suggested he just “tell us about your life in three words or less!” When that was met with awkward silence, she said, “Okay, how about two words? Fun and loud?” The sarcasm was not lost on the rest of the room as everyone chuckled, even the guest of honor.
Questions continued, people asking when the moving truck was arriving (2:30) and how big was it (just 14’) and which office would be his in Alabama (he didn’t know.) Finally, thinking they had thought of something to get him talking, someone asked him about his recent wedding and inquired as to how he was enjoying married life? Silence.
The same garrulous co-worker boldly suggested, “fun and loud?”
Diet Coke came out my nose.
At the party, people were asking him about his new position (at a branch office of ours) and what sorts of projects he’ll be working on. I have no doubt this "party" was his worst nightmare. A room of 25 people all focused on HIM. His answers were extremely brief, often just one word and barely audible. I served as the speakers, as I was sitting next to him, repeating nearly everything he said for the rest of the room to hear. It’s not that he’s unhappy, he’s just QUIET.
One of our more garrulous co-workers tried to get the Guest of Honor to give a little speech in recognition of his last day with us. She finally conceded and suggested he just “tell us about your life in three words or less!” When that was met with awkward silence, she said, “Okay, how about two words? Fun and loud?” The sarcasm was not lost on the rest of the room as everyone chuckled, even the guest of honor.
Questions continued, people asking when the moving truck was arriving (2:30) and how big was it (just 14’) and which office would be his in Alabama (he didn’t know.) Finally, thinking they had thought of something to get him talking, someone asked him about his recent wedding and inquired as to how he was enjoying married life? Silence.
The same garrulous co-worker boldly suggested, “fun and loud?”
Diet Coke came out my nose.
Comments
Maybe his new office will have someone in it even quieter than he is, and they can go out to whispered sushi lunches together and protect each other from surprise office parties.