From The Past: October 7, 2005
Knowing a coworker’s birthday was forthcoming, I suggested to my other coworkers we make the birthday girl a card. When I made the suggestion, the other girls acted as if it was a good idea. I brought the idea up on two different occasions, but the card was never made.
On Thursday, the day before the birthday, a coworker brought in a gift bag containing a present for the birthday girl. Another coworker asked if we were each buying gifts. I answered I wasn’t buying a gift because I hadn’t been working at this place very long and I didn’t think the birthday girl would expect a gift from me as we didn’t know each other well at all. The coworker who had asked the question agreed and said that she wasn’t buying a gift either. The third girl said, “she hadn’t really thought about it”. She didn’t give a yes or no answer which I was immediately suspicious of.
On Friday (the birthday) everything was going fine. I went on my lunch break right across the hall from where we work. Five minutes later as I am taking a bite from my sandwich, I hear everyone singing Happy Birthday to the birthday girl. I was shocked. My mouth hung open as I sat there and listened. I couldn’t believe they had left me out of that moment.
One of the coworkers, the one who said, “She really hadn’t thought about it” – brought in a big chocolate chip cookie decorated with icing. She had forewarned the other coworkers of what she was going to do, but had left me out completely.
She did tell me afterwards that I could have a piece of the cookie. Gee, thanks, but no thanks.
I am still shocked at her AND the other girls who didn’t say one word to me about this. It will be hard to forget. My feelings are very hurt. I have no idea why they decided to wait until I had left for lunch to present her with the giant cookie.
As of 2021: I vividly remember this incident. What I didn’t say above, was it hurt my feelings so bad, I cried when I heard them singing Happy Birthday. There was absolutely no reason for them to leave me out of this celebration. I had only been working at this job for a few months and none of them really even knew me.
I’m sure some people are curious what this job was. Suffice it to say, it was with small children and women with very small minds.