Sunday, November 6, 2011

Mute no more.

Hi friends. It's been a while. I've missed you!

I am so humbled and thankful for blog friends who've asked where I've been or just kept checking to see when I'm going to get off my ass and write something already. Thank you.

The long and the short of it? All is well. There's just been stuff going down that I didn't feel like I could write about.

Case in point?

I was required to participate in a moandatory - oops, I mean mandatory - corporate flash mob.

Yes. My team at Corporate Behemoth was required to perform like Solid Gold dancers at an all-hands meeting. In front of a couple thousand coworkers.

It was a big secret, and we had to attend 7 hours of rehearsals for a 1-minute dance. Ever showed up for a meeting in the middle of the day all sweaty and gross and unable to offer an explanation, other than "I'm gross?" I have! Because secret rehearsals were in the midst of the regular work day.

Now, I will admit that the flash mob acted as a team-building activity, because we were working together to avoid public humiliation. I actually ended up kind of enjoying the dancing. And it was nice to be praised for being a good dancer, even though as a high school sophomore, I didn't make the show choir. So, my old vocal teacher can suck it.

Buuut ... it was mandatory. During a super-busy time of year. And I don't know about your workplace, but a quick glance around mine shows some really obese people. And a guy with a severe spine problem. And contractors who are expected to work just as hard as the full-time employees but who aren't included in stuff like, oh, say, mandatory corporate flash mobs. This activity did not take into account the interests and needs of these individuals.

And it made me mad. And being praised for being one of the best dancers and having folks request to stand behind me in the formation so they could follow my lead was sort of like pouring salt in the wound. Yay - you're super good at selling your soul! At 1 rehearsal, I actually thought, "Oh. I wonder if this is what it feels like to be stripper." But with name badges instead of body glitter.

And have I mentioned that the performance of this little flash mob was a week after I had to confront a very sexist coworker? A coworker to whom I actually yelled, "I'm not your secretary!"

Yeah. So, droppin' it like it's hot was just what my career and my minor case of burnout needed. Yee-haw!

But it went OK and now it's over, and now we can move on to other things.

So ... what have you been up to?

12 comments:

Trixie Bang Bang said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Janet said...

Oh, I would love to be a part of a flash mob. Even one forced upon me by work.

Patti said...

Really glad to see you are back! I was beginning to think your blogging days were behind you. Damn that marital bliss. Glad to know that work is still providing some fodder for posts.

Joan said...

Yes I was worried...glad to see you back

Lisa said...

Yay - you're back! Is there any video evidence of this flash mob?

Anonymous said...

So THAT'S what you've been up to! Here I figured you were just hunkered down in your love nest cuddling your puppies--and by puppies I mean your dogs and by love nest I mean your new house with Your Guy.
Anyway, I totally get the two sides of that whole experience. On one hand, a fun way to team build. On another, not fun for those disinclined to dance.
I hope you sent a tape of your performance to that show choir director.

8 said...

I second GreenGirl......... glad to see you are still with us. How we have missed you!

Trixie Bang Bang said...

Of course you'd be a natural on the flash mob dance floor - you've got the Cha Cha built right in!

Unknown said...

I am here to tell you that you can always say no.

In fact, more of us should.

Cyndi B. said...

Yay! You're back!

Caron said...

Sure, start blogging right as I stop checking. ;)

Corporate flash mobs. wow. Good job!

sherilee said...

I have missed you as well! The fact that it took me a month or two to say so... yeah, not good. But I'm all caught up on you now, so all's right with the world.