First (and Last) few Days At Work

As a kid, I would fake tummy aches and dysenteries and lock myself in the toilet when the school pickup car would pull in our driveway to pick my brother and I. My antics for avoding going to school. This would be followed by my mom's persuasion turning into bribing (chocolate at the end of the day). When nothing worked, she would storm in drag me out, pick me up and just thrust me into the car. I can't recall going to school without tears flowing down my eyes even for a day. Its strange because I was exceptionally good at studies ...

Fast forward. 20 years later. I do the same thing even today. Umm, not exactly. My mom doesn't drag me out and shove me in. But the morning drama continues to this day. "Don't-want-to-goto-work" blues. There is one common string though between my childhood and now. I changed schools every year as we moved a lot and I studied in a dozen of them. Before I could make fast friends, we were already at a new place.

As I switch jobs (voluntarily) again, I'm going thr the same trauma now. The first few days at work are never easy. It is an info overload. Everything changes. From formals to casual clothing to formals again. Friends, your fav corner at work, coffee corner, that comfy chair, library, your housekeeping guys, work culture, the buildings you pass thr during the commute every morning.

First day usually means getting to know a bunch of jargons, being introduced to 30 odd people over a span of 30 minutes. Just when I thought I got all the names and the respective faces right, its time to leave again. Its kinda funny because I tend to relate people to the clothes they are wearing on the first day. So if the guy is not wearing a green shirt the next day, I would totally be confused.

First few days at work is all about connecting with people. Making/breaking relationships. You tend to form a social network of sorts. Introducing yourself a bunch of times that at the end of it you almost forget your own identity. There have been times when I have fumbled for my name.

On the contrary, last few days I believe is tougher because you are in the middle of nowhere. It is an awkward situation because people know you are leaving and you have to answer this question smartly , "Where are you going to?". I hope this is the last time I do it....