Well, the temp assignment that I took couldn't be more different from the Job-in-a-Box I got fired from. It really reinforces with me the notion that my getting fired had nothing to do with my performance, but all about "fitting in". Frankly, this kind of scares me and makes me pretty determined to stay out of the traditional workplace.

On the surface, the two places look a lot alike. Big, worldwide companies, big lobbies, and, of course, the ubiquitous "boxes". The cubicles at this job are a much more pleasant color, at least to me....sort of a grey/blue/green. Also, there is some natural light in the place and I am able to see out an exterior window from my "box". But that's where the similarities end....

The temp assinment is for 2 weeks "at least" the manager added today as she signed my time card. Yesterday, when I arrived at 8:00 a.m. - yes I was on time on 3 hours of sleep! - I was shown to my cubicle and introduced to the customer service department where I am helping out. I'm calling customers and asking them for meter readings on their copiers. That's the job.

What anybody elses job in the department is is anybody's guess. I certainly can't tell, since I haven't witnessed anybody doing any work the entire 2 days I've been there! The department consists of 3 young African-American ladies, an older African American lady whom everyone, including The Great White Liar (more on him in a moment) call "Ma". The department is "managed" if I can use that word by The Great White Liar, a young caucasion gentleman. All of these people are very nice. "Ma" has been especially kind to me, making sure I knew where the tea things were, how to use the code to get into the ladies room etc, and advising me to basicly ignore The Great White Liar. "Hi" he said, introducing himself to me, "My parents own this company." The guffaws around me were enough indication that they didn't. " Okay, great." I said, nutrally, pleasantly, "What do you want me to start on?" He blinked. No bait taken. Too bad for him.

Since it was "bring your child to work day" he spent it playing with two middle school aged girls who had come in with their mothers. All of the young ladies who work in the department look enough alike to be sisters. Their skin is the exact same color - more so than in most families I know. Their hair is almost the exact same length and straightened, each one of them is slim and petite. Never in my life have I felt like such a hick. These girls are dressed as if from televsion: up to the minute fashion, meticulously matched shoes and handbags, sleek, cosmopolitan hairstyles, matching manicures on their fingers and toes, open toed shoes....I was IMPRESSED. If I had to show up someplace looking like that it would take me 3 hours to get out of the house in the morning.

They speak to one another as if they are, in fact, related. Therefore I couldn't be clear on if the two little girls were really related or if the young ladies there are "sisters" the way the term is often used in the African American community. Another member of the sisterhood sits on the other side of my box in the collections department. She REALLY IMPRESSES me, because she manages to get quit a bit of work done, apparently effortlessly, and still maintain her good standing in the Sisterhood.

Nobody became especially alarmed as The Great White Liar, a man in his late 20's, engaged the girls in a came of flat out run around tag in the office, tied their shoes together, engaged in "slapping" games with them, ( he does this with his younger co-workers too. I think he can get the sense that if he even laid his hand on my arm he'd very much wish he had not) and had them down on the floor tickling them. If their mother had not been right there I would have put a stop to that last, no matter what anybody said. To me there's something wrong with a grown man who takes quite that kind of an interest in young girls that age...and The Liar admitted to me, after initially telling me he had been there for "28 months and started the department", that he had only been there 4 months. So, personally, I don't care how well their mother thinks she knows him, she can't know him all THAT well. Please tell me, anybody, if you think that I'm uptight here or have a dirty mind.....'cause I'm clearly not seeing this the way others saw it at the time!

Looking out the window, The Great White Liar was telling me all about the wildlife that can be seen in the little copse of trees that is between this office park and the residential development about a mile away. "We've seen lots of deer down there when it was cold....there's a little stream that runs by. And a bear!"

I put my pen down. "A bear?"

"Yeah, a little baby bear cub."

"Ok, sure." I say, same pleasant, nuetral, I'm-not-buying-this-particular-line-of-B.S.-either.

"No, really! Honestly! It was a bear! Ma! Ma! She doesn't believe me! Tell her about the bear. She doesn't believe I've seen a bear!"

"I believe that YOU believe you've seen a bear." I said, indulgently.

"No, we did really." Ma says. She has a pleasant, sedate manner, and a little bit of grey at her temples. I tilted my head and smiled at her as in: Okay, you have to support your "son". "Really, I did see him. A little cub, down by the stream."

Then it hits me. I'm not in the County anymore. While this is exactly what County folks would do to have a little fun with the temp or "newbie" these are City People, born and bred. It dawns on me that they saw a large black dog, likely a Newfie or a Mastiff and took it for a bear at a distance.

"You're not kidding? Really? A bear! Well, doesn't that just beat all!" I respond. Relieved smiles all around. They're not "hazing" me. I'm not "dissing" them. Okay.

Today it was a small flock of migrating gold finches. "Look! Canaries!"

"Um, you know, I think those might actually be a kind of finch." I said, looking out over The Liar's shoulder.

"Really? Hey Ma! MA! Tea says those canaires we see might be some kinda finches."

"Well, yeah, they could be. They just yellow from up here." she said, mildly.

"Wow, finches. Cool. I got to remember that. Got to know your wildlife, yaknowwhatamean?"

"Yep" I say in classic New England style. Back on the phone. It's gonna be a long two weeks!