Quiet, Please!

So, since last time I wrote about life in the office, several million more temps have joined our space. At least, that's what it feels like. Mercifully, I have been moved to a different space along with Miss Quiet, who I am getting to know better and enjoy more...and even so, the noise from down the hall is sometimes unreasonably loud. It's enough noise to fill a large shopping mall- and it's all contained in a ten by twelve room. She and I smile and roll our eyes and plug away at our tasks, which have gotten more complex. We are getting better at problem solving these days.

Mr. Loafer stopped by our new digs the other day, and commented about how it was getting on his nerves that the talking in his room never stops. He particularly mentioned one new guy... and how he just won't shut up. I thought it was the greatest of ironies. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. How hilarious. Miss Quiet and I were most amused.

This one new temp who just arrived yesterday was a problem from the get-go. Complaining, negative, foul, derogatory...It provoked me so thoroughly and quickly that it made me want to beam and burst into song, just to counteract all the bleeccchhhh vibes she was putting out there. Oh yeah- and give her a massive tongue lashing simultaneously. I don't know how that would have all worked together...But ANYWAY. She was behaving like the most maddening leach. She happens to be white and she seemed to think that I was the only person she could come to with issues. HELLO! I'm NOT a supervisor! It made me very uncomfortable. I just wanted to be as far away from her as possible. And thankfully she was situated in another room.

At the end of the day, she cornered me and asked me what the procedure was in a case of workplace discrimination. I sweetly told her who she should approach, and went on my merry way. I did not ask for details but I have a vague idea of what probably happened. I can almost guarantee you that it was a simple personality conflict. I think there is a tremendous amount of damage done in the world today because people cannot discern the difference between a personality conflict and genuine discrimination. People are so hyper-sensitive and rights-oriented that they seem determined to become a victim. I felt like saying," Hello! I've been here for almost three months and have been a minority here from day one...and while I felt a little culture shocked at first, I didn't fancy myself as a victim of racial prejudice...Do you think that suddenly, today, because you happened to arrive, that there is a sudden outburst of discrimination? Do you think perhaps that there is another issue here besides the color of your skin?" If only I could free myself to be so brutally honest. But somehow I can't. And it's probably just as well.