Thursday, April 12, 2018

Fence Sitting




When my kids were young I worked the 3-11 shift two evenings a week as a unit secretary in the pediatrics ward of the local hospital. It was interesting work -  answering phones, scheduling tests, transcribing orders, and a hundred other tasks. I really enjoyed it, probably because it was part-time.

          I didn’t get tangled up in the day-to-day politics and feuds that you find in full-time jobs.



          Yesterday our condo had its monthly ladies luncheon. Nothing fancy – just a trip to a local restaurant for anyone who wants to go. I had a ride with the woman who organized it, B., and two other women.

B. is a semi-recent divorcee who is still finding her path on the road of single living. She can be a force of nature, isn’t short on opinion, but her heart’s in the right place. Still, if I pass her building walking Mamie (she’s on the third floor and her dog barks when he sees anyone from her porch), she’ll suddenly materialize as I round the corner. A little overwhelming.

          The day before the luncheon, my next door neighbor, S__y (who you’ll recall is the rebel duck feeder) asked if I needed a ride. I had already accepted B.’s offer, so I said no thanks.

          As we took our places at the table, B. somehow jumped ahead of someone I’d just been talking to and snagged the chair next to me. S__y was across from me, an interesting development since B. had been full of schemes to report S__y’s duck habits.

          We still had a few empty chairs, but were told more were on their way, a woman named C__y among them.

S___y immediately turned to her neighbor and began whispering.



          To bring you up to speed :

          S___y used to organize Thursday get-togethers, but somehow this put C__y’s nose out of joint.

          C___y organized Sunday get-togethers, which S___y and her husband never, ever attended. 

          We had an end-of-the-year pool party two weeks ago, organized by C__y.   S__y did not attend.

          S__y and friends threw together an impromptu pool party on Monday, but C__y did not attend.

         

          I love it here, but getting back home to Massachusetts next week is looking pretty good.

          There’s a lot to be said for part-time.

9 comments:

  1. I know garden club and book club ladies who don't talk to each other. What a waste.

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  2. Sigh. Politicking (where-ever it occurs) is something I try and avoid.

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  3. Socialization is great but sometimes it can go off the rails.

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  4. Tacky, very tacky on the part of these women. But it makes for interesting speculation as to why. :-)

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  5. Isn't that sort of petty feuding supposed to be left behind when High School is over?

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  6. I think I get lost with the blanks, but I get the general idea about petty feelings and things.

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    1. Just trying not to put in anyone's actual name. Instead of Cathy (not her name) I wrote C___y

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  7. sounds like each sees you as a possible ally. you'd think that at this age women would be beyond all that.

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  8. Don't you wish they would just get on with it and pull each others hair out and put an end to their pettiness:)

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