Bits of Whitdom

Funny Business

I'm a funny person.
Not like a clown or anything...although I have been known to clown around.
And I spent last year getting paid to be funny...so I guess that makes me a comedienne.
I'm not sure what makes me funny, but universally I am told that I am.
And witty. (Errr, make that "whitty") Although my brother has always called me "Whitless."
But it's always a weird feeling when someone says, "Hey -- say something funny." Because it just doesn't work that way.

I've always been the funny person in the office.
The jokester. The prankster. The clever card writer and surprise party thrower.
The clever turn of a phrase...er.

Not anymore.

I have found myself working with some real lunatics! I mean, I work in an office that keeps me constantly in stitches. First and foremost, I work with the nicest and most kind-hearted people I know of. It is a team. And, well, that atmosphere lends itself to allowing one to be herself (or himself.) And I guess we all just happen to be comics-in-training.

We play jokes on one another. We leave insane voicemails. We have silly catch phrases. We sit and tell stories and recount crazy conversations. I verbally abuse the person sitting next to me (in a nice way, of course -- we are good friends)...and we laugh.

Goodness gracious -- how does anyone get anything done? I don't know, but we do. I probably work harder at this job than I have at any job I can recall. We're a small office, and we run cover for one another when we are stretched further than we can handle -- whether it be because of travel for another client, or a large project, or just complete machine malfunction (which happens sometimes.)

The people I work with are probably the most professional folks I have worked with, too. They take their jobs very seriously...but themselves, not so much. You see, we work in a business where our job is to make someone else look good...and if all goes well, we're like middleware. We're like the BEA Systems of our industry, so to speak. No one even knows we were there...we're a cog in the machine.

Anyway, back to the office. I compare and contrast my office now to past offices, and the big main difference that I see is that we are allowed to have fun. I am allowed to enjoy being there. My last office job seemed the exact opposite...the more I enjoyed my day, the more dour the office got. I had a friend there, and she and I could liven up the worst of days, and quite frankly we were probably two of the most productive people there. Willing to help others...coming in early...staying late when needed... But it just seemed like there was no room for levity. Levity was a sign that work wasn't getting done, and I'm just not sure what school of management that train of thought comes from. Whatever happened to "Happy employees are productice employees"? I still keep in touch with the boss from there - and he's a fun guy...so I chalk that one up to corporate culture that stems from something much deeper than a local office. But that's a blog for another day...

Anyway, business is funny that way.
But the business I work for?
Well, it's just plain funny.

posted by Whitney @ 10:11 PM