Real stuff in my office (because I might need that some day):
1. A little beehive
2. An old sleepy kitty (ok, I need him every day)
3. Dirt. I mean, of course. There are also extra pots, water, something gooey in that one container that catches flies, water, and some nuts and seed pods...
4. MORE seeds
5. A collection of butterflies a little friend made for me, and a quilt some grammas made
Rambling musings follow. Please disregard.
SIGNS YOU SHARE WORKSPACE WITH A GOBLIN/GREMLIN
-There is a container of dirt.
-There are live things.
- Your coworker always says that they "have one of those here, somewhere." Somewhere. And they do.
- "Exactly how many pens DO you have?"
- Artifacts.
- There is a jar of... something...in the staff fridge. Its green. Your coworker *consumes* it.
- There are many small, interesting things...
- There are many more small, interesting things down at child eye level.
- Your coworker does not care if children put those small, interesting things in their mouths.
- The children add even more small interesting things.
- No one is allowed to touch the spider webs in their office because "the spiders have important work."
- Your coworker always seems to be wearing something with large pockets.
- Every once in a while, you see your coworker suddenly swoop down and pluck something off the ground. But it disappears into those pockets.
- Your coworker is aware of every closet in the building, even that one you never noticed in the six years you have worked here.
- Your coworker always knows what closet or cupboard in which to quickly find that thing you are looking for. Still, they are always pleasantly surprised by some other weird and wonderful thing you find together while on your quest.
- Your coworker is saddened that somebody finally pulled up that weed that was growing by the door. You find out they have been watering it and talking to it for the last 3 months.
- You see your coworker hurrying down the hallway with something cupped in their hands. They are whispering to it.
- "Would you like a safety pin for that?" "No," they murmur, "the paperclip is working well."
- Your coworker wears a heavy duty apron with large pockets. No one else at work wears an apron, but often you find yourself in situations where you retrospectively wish you had one.
- "You aren't going to throw that away are you?"
- Your coworker jokes that the dirt is holding their car together and seems to get a bit prickly when its implied they might want to wash it someday
- Your coworker wears sandals every day. Even in winter. Sometimes they just go barefoot when walking to the other building. Even in winter.
- There is dirt under their fingernails again.
- Your coworker is surrounded by chattering children, but they all grow quiet and just look at you when you approach. Including your coworker.
- Your coworker curses in an unknown and inhuman language.
-Sometimes your coworker mispronounces common words, even though you are sure you are both speaking the same language.
- There is a box of tea and snacks in their office.
- Your coworker tells great stories, and seems very open and talkative but later you realize you really dont know anything substantial about them at all.
- Conversely, your coworker will spend entire days locked in their office and you are surprised to find out later that they were there at all.
- That squirrel that annoys everyone lives in the tree outside your coworker's window. You realize it always behaves when your coworker is with you.
- Sometimes there is knocking in in the walls in your coworker's office. Your coworker seems unconcerned, opens a desk drawer and removes some rocks, sticks, and a penny. They lay them out in a pattern on the corner of their desk and continue working without comment.
- when you need that thing, they pop up and hand you THAT particular thing.
- Last week your coworker fixed the copy machine but forgot to tell anyone.
- Your coworker doesn't seem to belong to any workplace cliques, yet everyone gets along with them well enough. They tell you that they are just awkward enough to get along with anybody.
- People find themselves telling your coworker secrets without knowing why. It's ok, because your coworker will never tell.
- Your coworker points out the cute face formed by those chips in the wall. Now you can't not see it.
- Your coworker puts a wet leaf on your paper cut. You laugh, but realize after they leave the room that your cut doesn't hurt.
- The air feels different in your coworker's office. It's often uncomfortable but somehow if you are having a bad day it feels better to hide out in there.
- There are some pride buttons on your coworker's bulletin board but you dont recognize the colors.
- Your coworker has told you that you can hide out on their office any time you need to, even if they are not there.
- There is a box of interesting small objects on your coworker's desk and you aree encouraged to play with them. You laugh but realize a few minutes later that there is something in your hands and you have been fidgeting with it this whole time.
- Your coworker knows the name of that plant/mushroom/rock/insect that you see while walking to get coffee as well as eight different practical uses for the thing.
- There is often music coming from you coworker's office. It is pleasant but you never recognize any of the songs.
- There is a bee just sitting on your coworker's desk. They don't seem to mind and actually are smiling to themselves.
- When you are out walking with your coworker they lead you to the library in the basement of that office building, the antique store behind the bakery, or the tea shop that you get to through the door in the back of the bank. They are surprised you didn't know about these places because they've always been here. Later, you cannot find these places by yourself.
