I am a professional. I have an MBA. I work in a cube. My walls are soft and institutional mauve. I know so much about my co-workers lives I could write their obituaries. There are days when my life feels like that movie, “The Office.” Today was one of those days. As, I mentioned before, there is little privacy in Cubeville. I understand that, but do others? I think not.
Today (and most everyday I am in my office) I listen to the ever unfolding soap opera of a co-worker who’s office backs up to mine. I know, for example, that her car (or her daughters car, I’m not sure) is in the process of being reposed. I hear her yell at her daughter about a baby daddy who is neglecting his offspring (her grandchild) and tell her that she needs to take control of the situation (WHEN did the situation get out of control? I feel like I missed an episode or two over the holidays!). Although the details can get a little blurry, since I only hear one sided conversations, I am ashamed to say that the sheer volume has made it impossible NOT to easedrop! Oh the life of Dilbert.
6 comments:
Overhearing way too many personal conversations.... one of the MANY joys of working for the Ohio Department of Health! : )
I'm still so glad we have each other here!
Natalie
sooo funny!! makes me feel like maybe I am missing out on something!
Very funny, D! I've been celebrating today since I got my own "cube"... Before I was a fugitive, plugging in my computer at the Wycliffe library. I have grey walls (a definite improvement to mauve). I start teaching Tuesday, so my poor cubicle mates will have to overhear my drilling of students' clicks, fricatives and bilabial trills (babies do these all the time... bbbbbb) :) RM
I had so much fun babysitting Isabelle. If you get your gull bladder out this summer, maybe I can come up and help some more, since I have summers off. She is getting so big and cute.
It is funny that I am commenting on this, as Danielle was very integral to my first introduction to cublicle world, almost a decade ago in a little place in TX. I all of a sudden "got" Dilbert. My current "cube" is actually pretty lux, as it consists of wood (you know, that stuff that grows) and is not completely closed off. Unfortunately, people then think it is the perfect opportunity to talk across my little piece of real estate, often about issues that I only know 10% about and would rather not be drawn into, so that I focus on my "real" work ( updating my various SharePoint Sites font on FrontPage or trying to find an inspiring quote to brighten the execs' day).
I also try to keep my voice down, so that people on the other side of the wall don't know what's going on, too much. I mean, do they really need to know?
I don't work in a cubicle so I can't comment. But it doesn't sound fun.
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