A Little Something Extra For Lunch

Soon I will be changing my place of employment, after about six years at my current location. Realizing I would have to make this transition hit me quite hard; this was, by far, my favorite place I have ever worked. I know a lot of that is due to the people I work with---people who I first viewed as simply co-workers...then friends...and, ultimately, family.

 
Knowing I have approximately two weeks remaining before saying those dreaded goodbyes, a lot of memorable, light-hearted moments continue to pop up in my mind.

I remember a specific day a couple of years ago when I arrived in time to eat lunch with some of my co-workers. We gathered around the junky, old table in the break room, which also served as the instrument repair shop. We often had to move violins or clear other items off the cluttered table and pull up ill-fitting stools to make room for everyone. I was chatting randomly with my co-worker Clay while taking my frozen quesadillas out of their box to heat them up.

  
"Yeah.....I think that's Friday night," I said in answer to his question. "And then after that, Saturday is a hike and...... isn't your band playing soon?  Because....hey....wait a minute," I said turning the box over in my hand. "This says 'three-cheese quesadillas,' but look....I have four in here....1, 2, 3, 4.....they made a misprint, didn't they?"

No words could sufficiently describe the look on Clay's face and the sound of his voice as he said slowly, "Oh--my--gosh. Misty....look....it's three-cheese quesadillas.....you know, three different kinds of cheese....it doesn't mean there are just three in the box."

  

My eyes widened, and my hand covered my mouth, but I got tickled and couldn't stop cracking up at my absent-minded error. My co-worker Jeff jumped right into the conversation as he opened his frozen dinner and dramatically threw the box on the table, "Well, I got ripped off!  Mine says five-cheese lasagna, but there's just one in here!"

  

No, comments like these are not typical in my daily vocabulary.....and I am surely not the only distracted person who has let an initial thought slip off the lips before passing through the mental filter. But I do laugh delightedly at the memory. Six years with people offer a lot of unguarded, forthright moments that are continually retold with laughter...."Hey! Do you remember when..." I love those times of fresh authenticity and warm camaraderie.

   

Surely, I will build a storehouse of pleasant memories at my new workplace, as well. I hope they will know how to handle me because, if I am having an off day, I very well might talk before I think and wonder aloud why I have an extra quesadilla in my lunch.