Work People

I think I mentioned in my last post about people I work with. Shallow, red-neck, homophobic... etc. I've had it shown to me this last week, thank gods, that not everyone is that way. Let me talk about two of them.

One, a guy, was working in my area a couple weeks ago. It's the first time I've spent an extended amount of time around the guy. I like discussions on unusual issues and held true to form. We talked about different stuff and music became one. As I'm a fan of Adam Lambert, I brought him up. Of course, the guy uses one or two derogatory terms... typical. In the general conversation, he brought up something that had happened to him. Let's call him Jim. Jim's in a bar, drunk as shit, talking to some guy. Then his brother calls him over and Jim is so drunk he only picks up a few words of what his brother is saying. Those words are "queer" and "sitting next to you". Then the guy he'd been talking to comes over and puts his hand on his shoulder and tries to continue their conversation. Jim knocks the crap out of him.

HOW does this make sense? This other guy hadn't done anything wrong. Jim also tells me about his uncle (with the disclaimer he'd NEVER do anything like this) and how he and his friends used to get guys they thought were gay to go camping or something with them. Then they'd zip them in their sleeping bag and beat them. Wish like hell I had more info cuz I'd sure as fuck call and inform their local police!! Unfortunately, I think this is stuff that happened many years ago. At least that's the impression I got.

And there is the first example. Now to the better one.

A new girl started last week. To start with, I thought I was being stuck with some bitch that was going to make my night miserable. I've seen what happens when you give someone a chance and open up a bit.

She explained it to me. I outrank her and as a new hire, they've been warned to be wary of us. (Sucks to work where I do). When another supervisor came in and she saw how I interacted with him, she thought I was ok. But then again, this is another supervisor I'm talking to, not someone her rank. Then another girl comes in, same rank as the new girl (call her Gayle), and I talk the same way with her. This makes Gayle open up a bit and we start getting to know each other. Her best friend is a gay guy (mine is a gay girl), she's Wiccan, I'm pagan (not a huge difference really), we understand each other SO well! We've both had the thought it is shocking we aren't related. I've found we differ on music a bit and on personal preferences. She's a dominant personality and I'm submissive. And she doesn't like guys in makeup... she says it's not right for a guy to be prettier than her... lol!!

It's amazed me that I feel I've made a friend!! But there's a catch. We work together. We have a "law" at work there can be no romantic/intimate relationships between co-workers. Unfortunately, this now seems to also encompass friendships to a degree. Camaraderie at work is already in the gutter... discouraging friendship among the staff does NOT help the situation.

Gayle's got her best friend coming down here too. I'd thought maybe getting to know her maybe we could hang out. With her friend coming, I could get to know him too. What if someone sees us hanging out? She's new and it could jeopardize her job. It's not like there's anything between us because neither of us swings that way and she's got a family. But I'm seeing what I thought would be a new friendship fail before it even starts.

It breaks my heart. I'm only around the people I work with. Who would I hang out with outside work, maybe go places with where I could meet new people? The answer is no one. I stay home. Alone. With 10 cats.