Back to Work
It starts like every other day starts at work.
Pull into the parking structure and park on the fifth floor.
Take the elevator down to ground level.
Scan my I.D. card at the Security station and show the card to the two Security guys.
Walk to the entrance of the office building.
Go up the stairs to my cube on the second floor.
But it isn't like any other day and not because it's my first day back at work in three weeks.
It's moving day.
I had recently joined a different team at work and I was trading my cube in for a cube about 100 feet away.
I just spent the last week packing everything at my Dad's house and on my return to work I find myself have to pack some more.
It is a mindless exercise to move and that's probably a good thing. I'm having difficulty focusing and while I'm glad to be back at work and back on a schedule, it all seems so pointless.
How is this going to become important to me again?
I got to work early to try to avoid any awkward conversations with people to start my day. It doesn't work.
As I grab a Coke from the break room, I run into that person that you sorta know but you don't really know. I can tell you who this person is and what she does but we've never really had any sort of conversation.
Why is the first real conversation that we are going to have be about the death of my father?
"VW, I was so sorry to hear about your father."
Shields up. Politely smile and thank her for the kind words.
"Do you know what happened?"
Yellow alert! Provide clinical details. Prepare for evasive maneuvers.
The person starts to tear up. She's on the verge of crying now.
"VW. I just wanted you to know that I was so very sorry." She starts to cry.
RED ALERT. ABORT COKE MISSION. MUMBLE A RESPONSE AND THEN LIGHT SPEED TO THE MEN'S ROOM.
I get to the rest room before anybody sees me and I have a chance to catch myself before I'm sobbing in a hallway.
I look at my pager. It's 7:58 a.m.
How the fuck am I going to do any work?
VW
Pull into the parking structure and park on the fifth floor.
Take the elevator down to ground level.
Scan my I.D. card at the Security station and show the card to the two Security guys.
Walk to the entrance of the office building.
Go up the stairs to my cube on the second floor.
But it isn't like any other day and not because it's my first day back at work in three weeks.
It's moving day.
I had recently joined a different team at work and I was trading my cube in for a cube about 100 feet away.
I just spent the last week packing everything at my Dad's house and on my return to work I find myself have to pack some more.
It is a mindless exercise to move and that's probably a good thing. I'm having difficulty focusing and while I'm glad to be back at work and back on a schedule, it all seems so pointless.
How is this going to become important to me again?
I got to work early to try to avoid any awkward conversations with people to start my day. It doesn't work.
As I grab a Coke from the break room, I run into that person that you sorta know but you don't really know. I can tell you who this person is and what she does but we've never really had any sort of conversation.
Why is the first real conversation that we are going to have be about the death of my father?
"VW, I was so sorry to hear about your father."
Shields up. Politely smile and thank her for the kind words.
"Do you know what happened?"
Yellow alert! Provide clinical details. Prepare for evasive maneuvers.
The person starts to tear up. She's on the verge of crying now.
"VW. I just wanted you to know that I was so very sorry." She starts to cry.
RED ALERT. ABORT COKE MISSION. MUMBLE A RESPONSE AND THEN LIGHT SPEED TO THE MEN'S ROOM.
I get to the rest room before anybody sees me and I have a chance to catch myself before I'm sobbing in a hallway.
I look at my pager. It's 7:58 a.m.
How the fuck am I going to do any work?
VW
posted by JVW at 8:27 PM
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