Have you ever watched the Office? It’s one of those quirky shows that really is funny, but it takes you a while to get into it enough to find it funny; at least that was true for me. After I started watching it for a while, I began to think about which of these characters in the office was me; as it is a pretty representative microcosm of people of the world.
There will always be the not quite qualified person in charge, who seems to have gotten there by being incompetent at their present level, sort of well liked, and the only one who applies for the job (which is what I must assume, because otherwise I can’t figure out how they get promoted). This person does not always have to be in charge, but they have gotten a job for which they are wholly unqualified. This person always walks fast in the hallway, like they are on their way to somewhere important. The more people in the hallway, the busier they will appear to be. Too busy to be stopped and asked a question.
There is the pretty but mostly useless girl or boy. This is the person who has a job, but doesn’t want it. They are daily, waiting to quit. They put forth no effort. Are happy to let someone else do their work. They don’t care if they get fired, because they were just going to quit anyway.
There’s the extremist, that one person who is 100% devoted to some self selected cause and it rules their life. This person is the master of the awkward conversation. They are going to talk animatedly and at length about some topic about which you know nothing about and care nothing for. And they will always catch you when you have about 5 minutes of free time and no way to escape. And those 5 minutes become an eternity.
There’s the nerdy, slightly annoying person who’s feelings you don’t want to hurt, so you hide from them when you see them coming so you don’t get caught in conversation with them.
There’s the know it all, been there, done that, let me tell you my story person. This person must insert themselves into every conversation with an anecdote as to how whatever random topic relates to them and their experience. They know which movies to see, which pop tarts are best, their kids have been in every club and won every award, and they have participated in every organization in the world.
And there’s the grumpy person. That person who gets a cake for their birthday then complains that it’s not the right flavor; or gets flowers from their mother and complains that they don’t like daisies, only roses will do. It’s a dilemma really. Because on the one hand, the selfish, I’m in it for me side, I don’t want to spend time with the grumpy person. I don’t want to eat lunch with them, or hang out with them before, during, after work. I just don’t care about what they have to say or do, and it’s always grumpy and always about them. But, the other side, on my muted undeveloped social skills side, there’s the “but I don’t want to be a bad person.” So the grumpy person is included as a guilt invite. No one wants them to come, but you invite them because you don’t want to hear them complain about how they weren’t included.
The worse part, is that you can’t put yourself into any of these categories. Oh, I’m sure that I’m the wonderful funny person. Of course I am. But Sally knows it all down the hall thinks that I’m the nerdy annoying person. Mostly because she doesn’t know me, I’m sure.
