As you might imagine, I loathe "getting to know you" games. Except for narcissists and natural-born cheerleaders, they make people uncomfortable. In a semi-social situation like a bridal shower, they're ridiculous. Face it. At a bridal shower, everyone is already miserable except the bride-to-be and now we're going to add insult to injury by making everyone stand up and talk about themselves.
In most social situations I have found that adults are quite capable of introducing themselves and starting a conversation. No organized game required.
Someone at my little temp job did not get this memo. They thought it would be super fun for all of us to fill out a little survey, then stand up and read our answers. (My brain is calculating the time and expenses associated with this exercise. Someone actually typed it. Hmmm. Guess some people need a document to remind them what their favorite color might be. Then it was printed, wasting time, paper, toner, etc. Then we all took time away from the phone -- silly me! I thought that's what we're getting paid to do -- to stand up and recite our boring answers.
I'll spare you the entire survey but it was filled with thought-provoking questions like:
Your favorite color?
Your favorite coffee drink?
Your favorite place to vacation?
Your favorite candy?
Your favorite store?
I told the truth on some of them and lied on others just to cement my position as a weirdo. For instance, I said my favorite color is puce. Guess what store was everyone's favorite? Yep. The Walmart.
My favorite was the coffee question. A couple of people had some convoluted concoction like triple mocha latte cappuccino with sugar-free vanilla and extra foam. I am the only person who said, "black coffee." The majority answered that they do not drink coffee. Except ... there's this weird combination of defiance and pride. "I DO NOT DRINK COFFEE!" was said with serious attitude. This was usually said by someone slurping on a Big Gulp.
Must run and see what games are in store for today. I found this great caricature and it represents my coworker who is going to roll me in the parking lot. She looks just like this except ... she doesn't drink coffee!
"What you have when everyone wears the same play clothes for an occasion, is addressed by a nickname, expected to participate in Show & Tell, and bullied out of any desire for privacy is not a democracy; it is kindergarten."
Miss Manners (Judith Martin)
5 comments:
greeting time in worship seems tame by comparison to the 'getting to know you games' of the workplace.
C
Is that the coffee mug you won? Yuck! I will pass now. It is butt ugly. I thought it would be something cute.
See? What wonderful stories you are getting from this, "adventure".
I love that you are starting to write again ( :
You are going to have to let Janis know that the COFFEE MUG is mine – after lodging the first said trophy at the roe buss Cheerleader, the next one is all mine. –
Now the next issue is giving you the proper inspiration because it is apparently not coming from the Plump Happy Lady, so in an effort to keep your eye on the prize, I believe you will need to raise your sights on a “Three Peat!” I am sure that Big Boned Betty has never achieved this accomplishment.
Did I detect a hint of puce on the side of that mug in the picture?
After your second win I think it would not be too big of a request to ask that the next mug be a little more masculine puce and Starbucks tend to clash.
Better be careful with these funny blogs. Somebody's liable to beat you up in the parking lot!
After reading Cess' comment, I am a little scared now! Last night my daughter called me to stay on the phone with her as she walked several blocks to her car after leaving the campus library! She said that she was seeing lots of creepy people along the way and felt scared! I was more than willing to do that and would do it each and every day if she would just call and/or ask.
I was just laid off from a job that I could not get out the door fast enough, as I walked my way "backwards" while assuring them that all was well and that I had another job to go to. Whew!!
A few weeks before, we had done Random Drug Testing and everyone but 2 of us had "Controlled Substances" that surfaced in their tests. Cocaine was one of the substances!!!
You just never know who you are working with and beside these days! By the way, this was in "Home Health Care"!! How very very sad for the patients!
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