Lazy Coworkers

"Dude, what the hell happened to you?" my buddy says laughing like a hyena.



"I freaking got held up at work.....my coworker decides she wants to return whenever the hell she wants. Its so frustrating," I say as I'm walking away to get my BBQ plate; I could hear his unique laugh as I walked to the serving line in the back. Everyone in the place heard me.....its not that big a deal, and I wasn't cussing.



I had just walked into a BBQ joint that my fellow Aggie buddy like to meet at sometimes. Its a quaint place in downtown, less than a five minute ride for me and less than a ten minute walk for him. I had just arrived there to see him in a booth eating and smiling at me.......he knew what had happened.



"She does this shit all the time......it really pisses me off. Don't get me wrong, I love her to death, but man, she does her thing without regard for anyone else, I think. I mean....if you leave for an hour, you're supposed to be back within an hour,,,, right?"



"That's the way it works in working America," my buddy J says laughing.



"I'm gonna rag on her ass when I get back."



"Don't worry, I haven't been here that long."



I could tell he was telling the truth. He hadn't gotten far on his plate. I was a bit relieved. The thought of me getting to lunch late doesn't at all bother me........what bugs me is when people don't care and cause others to leave late. It really boils me!



So we are there......talking about how I should of, according to J, strutted my stuff in high school for I was a quarterback for a team who had a pretty good season. He couldn't believe that I just went to school, to practice, played on Friday night, and then cooked on the weekends for car money (Mom told me that I had to pay my own insurance if I wanted a car), and then wake up for Sunday morning Mass where I was either scheduled to serve as an altar boy or not. Then, after Mass it was off to eat with the folks or go to eat at Furr's with my younger friends. That was it.

"But Dude, you were the quintessential Friday Night Lights" he says, "Shit, I can't believe you dude."

"I'm not you. I did all that stuff....it was a job!"

"And you went to A&M and didn't hang out or party...." he says in amazement.

"Not really."

"Do you regret it?"

"Well, I do regret a few things (I was thinking of L)."

"I can't believe you!" he says shaking his head wide-eyed. He looked away into the small crowd. I managed to get a whiff of my shirt; damn, it smelled like BBQ! I love the smell, but I gotta go back to work. The place could use better ventilation : -)

"I just went to school. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but I am glad I went there. There have been times when I wished I didn't, but now I see that I was blessed to go there, a gift. Besides, I don't make habit to get attached to anything, for things come and go."

"Dude, I was nothing in high school, but I loved college even better. Dude, there you can leave your past behind and become someone. You could have strutted yourself in high school, but you didn't. You could have easily made your way into the frat houses, and they would have rushed you like crazy......but you didn't. Why?"

I sat there listening to him. I was really into my brisket and German sausage. This joint is stuffy and needs a real AC, but I really like the food!

"It was a job, whether it was going to school, playing ball, or cooking. As far as A&M, well I was more a loner. I went for the paper.....not to have fun per se. It was okay. But yeah, looking back I would have done a few things differently....(again, I was thinking).

We then went on to talk about his former job. He wasn't treated well at his former job....they were not a meritocracy, rather a system of promoting incompetency b/c they wanted to build up their little Tech proteges. It hurts my friend........I just listen.

Here it gets serious for what happened to him...........I'll say no more out of respect for him. This is why I keep my name and those mentioned here as letters, a secret. Many of the things are very very personal........that's why much is withheld. I try to keep my memoirs light!