Just Passing By

By Frank Bauch

I’ve had friends who say their social lives have slowed down after graduating from college and entering the working world.

Clearly they never had desks by the printer.

In our office, every time a document is printed, a fax is sent or received, or a copy needs to be made, everyone in the office flocks to the same place. The copy machine is the modern day water-cooler, and I’m holding the cups. What’s more, our Xerox Work Centre is on the path to the lunch room, so the traffic for lunches and breaks flows through here as well.

First thing in the morning, I’ll usually get a “hello” here and a “good morning” there, and after grabbing some morning coffee or a cup of tea, everyone heads to their desks to start the work day.

But it’s not long before the traffic starts flowing my way, and the social skills kick into gear.

“Hello”
“Oh, Hey”
“Wassuppp (followed by fist pound)”
“Hiii”

How many different ways can one come up with of addressing the passers-by? Possibly dozens, but even so I’m usually running thin by noon.

Working in the office interstate highway definitely opens many possibilities for awkwardness. Near the printer, you’ll get the occasional long print job that will have a colleague walking back and forth to the printer several times in just a few minutes. Ditto for using the microwave, which brings the mid-morning snack crowd. To be sure, it’s hard even for those of us hidden away in the corner office not to look up at the sound of passing footsteps, only to discover you’ve made direct eye contact with the person walking by. Engage PR has an open-door policy that creates a great office environment, but it also keeps you on your toes as you walk down the hallways.

Everyone has a different way of approaching the walk by my desk area. Sometimes I’ll get a joke, sometimes I’ll get asked about what I’m up to, and once I even had someone break into a jog and say, “Just getting some exercise!” But in the end, there’s really no rhyme or reason to how many times you can say “Hi” to someone in a day. I’m in a cool office with lots of fantastic people, so I never really get tired of it.

In the coming days, I’ll be making a move to a new desk. The place they call “Cube Land” will be my new home, and I’ll get to take on a new area with lots of office traffic: the desk closest to the front door! I guess I’ll need to brush up on different ways to say “Good Morning!”