Story Time: Sidling Up On Your Cube

This article appeared originally on CubicleGM.

When I’m at work, I try to keep a few stories “on tap” for those all-too-frequent cases when you find yourself grabbing a soda or standing in the elevator next to someone at work who you have nothing to talk about with.  Often these situations go like this:

Me:  Hey, [NAME].  Good to see you.  How’s it going?

Coworker:  Oh, fine.  Just busy, you know?  How are you? 

Me:  Yeah, tell me about it.  I know “busy”!  Busy-ness is just the way it works here at [OUR COMPANY]. 

Coworker:  Yes, that’s definitely true… 

**Awkward silence usually followed by my nervous tick, which is whistling**

Me:  Alright, well, great to see you.  Don’t work too hard!  (Smile)  Have a good one. 

I do my best to avoid these situations by having a story ready for such awkward silences.  They often involve sports, obviously up for last minute audibles or adjustments depending on the audience. 

My current story is that I’m pretty sure I sat next to that kid J.P. from Angels in the Outfield (from 1994, honest to goodness it was that long ago) at the Dodgers/Nationals game the other night.  I’m serious.  I’ve got the luck of having parents with pretty good season tickets to the lackluster Nationals who periodically drop their tickets on me.  I went to happy hour, then headed out to the game.  Second row, first base side, next to the Nationals dugout.  This kid drank a whole Country Stand Lemonade in about 14 seconds and had to go to the bathroom in a tie game in the bottom of the 8th about six minutes later.  He had cotton candy, nachos, those funny little bite-size ice cream things in a cup, a pretzel. 

Finish this article at CubicleGM: http://www.cubiclegm.com/2009/09/24/story-time-sidling-up-on-your-cube/