My December to Remember 3: Day One
News: George Santos expelled from Congress after floor vote.
Democrats and Republicans vote to permanently freeze $6B in Iran funding.
Back in the early 2010s, my co-workers and I would go out at least twice a week. It feels like the job was always a precursor to the party. We were the wild team. Everyone on other teams would talk about how no one parties like us, whether that’s how well we held our liquor, or activities we’d think up.
One night ended with me on a mechanical bull, hands-free, singing Whitney Houston at the top of my lungs. It was a lot of fun. It felt like I had a ton of friends surrounding me all the time. It was like I could tell these people anything, and we were all intrinsically linked both in the office and off the clock.
But as the years went on and people fell away, I realized most of these people were not my friends. We were merely colleagues. But at the time, they were all part of the seemingly realest interactions I could get.
I’ve been very lucky in my work-life. I’ve never been on a “bad” team. Everyone I’ve ever worked with has found a way to comingle and practically cohabitate in our respective offices. Morale goes up and down as it does with any facet of life, but these positive feelings about team bonding never only come from me. It’s a mutual thing amongst the workforce to all reach the same conclusion, and I can’t help but feel at least partially responsible for the good time had by all.
I don’t tell all my co-workers everything like I once did. I feel like I’ve gotten burned a lot that way. When you sh*ttalk behind someone else’s back, it’s inevitable it’ll come back to you too. I’ve learned my lesson. And despite my father telling me to keep a lot of things to myself, my current co-workers know a great deal about me. We keep it professional on company time, but like any real friendship, there’s an understanding of who each respective person is, whether the work hat is on or not.
There seems to be a constant always following me wherever my career path takes me. The trust, no matter the work circumstance, seems to seep in quickly. I know all these people have my back, just as I have theirs. I notice my traits rub off on them, and vice versa. We work together in more ways than one; physically putting the product together, and emotionally maintain while doing it. It’s a balance. At least it should be. And I’m hoping this camaraderie comes with a promise of continuing colleague resolutions.
Perhaps it’s not about looking down the line when these are the relationships of your forefront. Maybe all you get is the present with them. Maybe that’s where the most important moment shines. I’m thankful my work life isn’t currently taxpayer-funded High School drama club, where it seems absolutely no one gets along. But even a swamp can find the perfect conditions to generate a healthy ecosystem, temporary or otherwise.
I’m very lucky to be in the work environment I currently am, No matter how tired I am, no matter how much some outliers get on my nerves, I know at the core we’re a team. A unit. They’re my people. Evolution of the self reflects in whatever situation you’re in, and I can’t help but see a lot of good in the ever-expanding newsroom. And that’s something that can stick around long past the forty-hour work-week.
