In keeping with the thread's theme, here's a short story.
Several years ago, I was at work, walking around the office to look busy and avoid actually having to do my job at the same time, which necessitated walking past the central area where the administrative people are located. A woman walks past me and says 'Hey, Konrad,' to me. That's my name, by the way, otherwise this story would have been super weird, although maybe a bit funnier. I say hey back, because that's what you do, and continue on my way, slightly befuddled.
See, as far as I'm aware, I have never even seen this person before, much less spoken to her, much less been introduced. Normally when new employees start they do the rounds on our floor, getting introduced to everyone and getting asked the same few questions over and over again by people they'll never talk to again, but I had no recollection of her doing so. So how does she know who I am? It's not like I'm that famous. Sure, I've got a plaque with my name on it, but even though I told my parents it's because I'm special, everyone actually has one of those. We're not in the same division so we'd never been in the same meetings or really have any reason to ever interact at all unless one of us happened to be wandering by the other's section of the building and had nothing better to do.
So this is strange. But now it presents a new dilemma; she says 'Hey Konrad' to me everyone we pass now, and I don't know her name! It's been weeks at this point and I've been saying hey and making small talk like we're friends, I can't ask her now, 'Oh hey, by the way, who the hell are you?' So I have to find another way to uncover the information. I ask the guy who works beside me; he doesn't know. Not surprising, we're good friends because neither of us like other people. No help there. But wait, I can just go check one of the emails that goes out to the whole floor every few days, saying 'please get your rotten food out of the fridge before we have to call the health department again,' or 'the building's bathrooms will be closed for the next three weeks, please jog across the complex when you need to relieve yourself,' and look through the names they're addressed to. When I find the one I don't know, bingo! It helps that I work with a lot of dudes, so there's not too many women's names to sort through.
Another dilemma. My antisocial behavior has come back to bite me despite every reason I had to believe that it never would. There are still several women's names on there I don't know. Work on this issue progresses. By neglecting my own work, lurking around corners, eavesdropping on conversations, I am able to slowly acquire more information, cross names off the list of unknowns. Eventually I think someone just calls her by her name while I'm around, so this whole campaign of subterfuge was totally pointless.
Her name was Angel, by the way, which was part of the problem. I thought it was a strong possibility, but if you call someone Angel who isn't actually named Angel, then you're just a total weirdo.
Anyway, she doesn't work there anymore. I can't remember if I ever actually called her by her name.
Topic: Mundane But True Stories! (Read 27088 times)
