Life's a Cafeteria

As a kid at school I always remember there being cool places to sit and not so cool places to sit at break time, in addition, there was always the cool kids to hang out with and the not so cool. Of course this situation prevailed into high school, into boarding school and then into the dining hall at university. One would think that once one had elevated oneself from the puerile student life model, that this phenomenon would have gone away but of course, who you hang out with and where you hang out remains an important measure of you as a person way beyond student life. So we come full circle to cafeteria life in the work place.At corporate headquarters the mink dine on the 2nd floor mezzanine that overlooks the main dining area, their tables have table cloths, pre laid out silverware and apparently are waited on.

Down in the manure pit we suffer fiberglass corporate trays and we line up in front of baskets of freshly washed moist flatware and worn hotel style china plates heavy enough to hold a door open. We line up in front of the short order chefs or at the self service salad bar and check out at cash registers with scales that weigh our food. The first time a saw meals by weight was atop Table Mountain in Cape Town at a fauxly swank restaurant. When we travel in gangs to the cafeteria we try to sit in gangs, the singletons though have little or no hope of finding a good spot at a good table. Those who cannot stomach the eating habits of their colleagues or who wish to fake extreme business will do a 'to go' meal or will pick a table that really doesnt accomadate more than two people. The phenomenon is fascinating and one I myself have been guilty of.

At MSFT it was never really an issue, I guess primarily because the traffic through the cafeteria was intense, most of us were contractors and even the gardeners dined with the propellor heads, here in sunny Irvine though, everyone is a contractor but there is a pecking order and you are either part of the in crowd or you are not. The lonely and desperate seek out a luncheon mate in order to avoid having to sit alone or impose themselves on an already established table. Today I fell into that category, I sought out John O. couldnt find him and went to lunch alone. I usually do anyway, but today I was in need of some company for some unknown reason and he was not around.

In the cafeteria I floundered about, not sure what it was exactly that I wanted to eat, and eventually settled on the Hawaiian chef's salad which was named this simply due to the presence of pineapple and pork products. After i had my duly weighed meal in hand, I had the challenge of finding a suitable place to sit. Given the hour of the day, the cafeteria was awash with bodies. I had seen a couple of colleagues earlier in the line and wouldnt have minded sitting with them so when i emerged from the cashier chose a large capacious table in plain view of the doorway with noone sitting at it. They emerged, glanced in my direction and bolted off to the far side of the eating area. I ate my lunch in silence and solitude, picking the red onion out and setting it aside for the trash.

Did they see me?

No idea. Do I care?

If they saw me - of course I do !

As I dumped my disposables I noticed a woman I had seen yesterday at a very full table, she was actively involved in the previous day's dialog at that table, today she sat alone.

Yesterday I too sat at a table alone, which quickly filled with those who were happy to accompany me in lunch.

What will tomorrow hold?