Friday, March 27, 2009

Ice Breaker/Ball Buster

Recently, I attended a day-long seminar at work. There were about 20 of us. As is customary in these situations the presenters had us do an ice-breaker. This particular exercise had a list of statements and you had to find a person for each of the statements. The person with the most names wins.

The statements were things like:

I have eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast.
I speak a language other than English.
I practice the traditions of my ancestors.
I have lived in a foreign county.

Participants scurry around to find names to fill-in next to their statements and their name next to a statement of the other participants.

The further along you get the harder it is to find additional people and the harder it is to find a statement that you fulfill since all the easy ones are taken.

I was standing with a group of 3 or 4 co-workers and we were hurriedly comparing lists and offering up our names to various statements.

I found a statement I thought I could fill, "A person who has overcome a major personal challenge". I told them, "Put me down for that".

One of my co-workers asked, "What personal challenge have you overcome?". Never mind that this was probably not a wise question. I mean, what if I had over come a meth habit, nose picking or habitually crapping myself on Fridays or something else that I would not like to talk about?

I instinctively and proudly rubbed my growing belly as evidence of overcoming a major personal challenge.

She exclaimed, "THAT'S not a challenge".

Over the buzz and chatter of a room full of excitedly talking people I paused, got very serious and said in a measured tone, "If you only knew what I have gone through to get here you would not say that. Not everyone can have a baby whenever and however they want." And there was stunned silence. I went on, "If you only knew. I'm glad for you that you don't."

And then a ran away to another group of people becasue I'm a competitive bitch and I wanted to win!

15 comments:

Renovation Girl said...

GOOD FOR YOU!!!!! I love that you told her this! (and that you still kept your eye on winning, too!) ;)

Mermaid said...

Hurray! I'm cheering for your response.

Pepper said...

I love that you looked her straight in the eyes and told her that! Bravo!

Bluebird said...

I am so proud of you, and WELL SAID! Awesome!

Anonymous said...

Rock on girl! People just don't think.

areyoukiddingme said...

She'll probably think twice before making that kind of assumption again...

Did you win?

Anonymous said...

Hah! I love conversation stoppers like that!! Good for you!

DAVs said...

Ha! I hope you won.
I've done that too...around the time of Octomom drama, and someone in our break room was going on and on about how doctors "implant" so many embryos because women are so desperate. And I went off. And they said "How do you know?" And I said "Because I've done IVF four freakin' times. And it never worked." Talk about silence in the lunch room.

I loved your Joel Madden post too.

Nishkanu said...

What a great response - spot on and so NICE too.

Anonymous said...

That's awesome! good for you and quick thinking. I am so not a quick thinker.
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www.parenthoodforme.org
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Anonymous said...

sorry i saw your previous post and remembered readng the F-U post!!!!

Riley said...

Way to put her in her place - great comment! If only I could start speaking up more, myself. The farther along I get in this process, the more I think I'll be willing to speak out.

Birdee said...

Good for you, You are my Hero.
I have a mouth too. (one of those things where I just cant keep it shut all the time)

Anonymous said...

Sock it to 'em peeveme!

charmedgirl said...

fuck that person, but really, fuck us because we have to go around and edjumacate every fucking body. i'm so sick of it. infertility, treatments, dead babies...i'm just going to lala land from now on. whatever.

quick tongue, though...nice!