The Shackles are Off...

Well, my time is done. No more fighting morning traffic, walking into a sea of beige cubicles, fax machines, and printers. It's over.

I might have mentioned in previous posts that my coworkers decided to take me to lunch for my goodbye. I was very nervous about this lunch as I have never felt that we glommed due to my differentness. For those of you that feel like the outsider of your coworkers, you know what I mean.

That is where my friend comes in. I won't mention her name, but this person has worked for this organization for a long time, and insisted that she accompany me to the lunch. Granted, she didn't know my coworkers, but she knew I felt wierd about the whole thing. I finally agreed to her taking me. What did I have to lose?

We walked in, with all eyes upon us, and my friend smiled, introduced herself to each of my coworkers and chatted easily with all of them. Not that she ignored me either, my friend turned this uncomfortable gathering into a great, easy social event. The thing that it did for me, was give me legitamacy. My coworkers saw me in a new light, not the misfit, but knowing someone with years of experience and knowledge, someone socially graceful.

I think that is when the shackles fell off.

More musings later.