Regarding My Coworker's and How They Are The Shit

It takes a certain type of person to work in a call center

If you've ever seen the the quote "You don't have to be crazy to work here, we'll train you..." then you have an idea of what it's like to work in the type of place I choose to work. "We're all insane down here" also applies.

What's great about my job and my coworkers is that we're all almost the exact same amount of insane.

You have to be, to do what we do. To call complete fucking strangers, convince them you are worth their time, and that the organization you are calling for is worth their money. Sometimes whether you believe it or not. I often say that it takes a certain lacking in morals to do my job as well, but that might just be for me...

I want to tell the world about the group of co-workers that I love and adore, but I won't be naming names.

The first person I ever really talked to at my job was a rather large looking dude, short in stature, but fairly muscular. He stood out to me because at first I thought he was hitting on me. He asked me what my name was and when I said "Sharyla" he said "Oh, that's unique." My immediate response, because it's who I am, was "There are quite a few things about me that are unique".

He caught me off guard with the quickness of his reply, which was simply "Well, I'll have to find out about those..."

Do you see where I could have thought this person was coming on to me?

As it turns out, he wasn't. I'm just really egotistical.

Since then, he's become a friend, and a great one at that. He's so optimistic, but not in the way that makes you want to rip his toenails out and poke his eyes with them. In the refreshing way that makes you just want to be around him. Also...he tells people he's a different nationality almost every fucking phone call, and it's hilarious.

The second person who made a real impression on me is a younger kid, 23, and admits that no one likes you when you're 23...not just because it's a song. This kid seriously rides his bicycle to work in any weather. He's got a cat named Lovecraft, and knows his shit when it comes to music. He's also quite the smart ass. He'll often respond to text messages with lines from our scripts. For instance, one of the many organizations we call for is an environmental one, talking a bit about Global Warming and Jet Stream Patterns...

Me: "Do I still need to come to your house after work?"
Him: "You're always welcome of course"
Me: "I'm just worried about the weather"
Him: "You should be"
Me: "?"
Him: "A study preformed at Rutgers says that the Arctic melt is causing blocked jet streams ..."
Me: "Ass"
Him: "I knew that's what that would say before I even opened it..."

How well they know me already...

The catalyst of this post was some deep back pain. It was excruciating, and part of the reason this post has taken so long to finish...also I'm lazy and uninspired. I was pretty sure I was losing a kidney or was going to have to take a 5lb shit at first...and then I really couldn't think at all beyond the pain. I tried, not at all valiantly, to work through it, but this was the kind of pain that I couldn't talk without sounding pissed, and contributors don't really respond to that tone. Eventually I decided I was going to see a medical professional about this. However, I was broke. I'm sort of always broke. I called MedExpress but they wanted $109 to walk through the door. Then the Office Manager printed out a ton of information for me (that I didn't ask for, she just...did it) on the available free and sliding scale clinics in the city. I made some phone calls, but that wasn't working out either. Finally I gave in and decided to just go to the emergency room. The Office Manager took time out of her day to drive me to the ER and informed me that she would wait for my call to come pick me back up. This was after my friend kindly offered to go with me so I didn't have to wait by myself. I ended up using that friend as my emergency contact because that's what made the most sense. Yet another co worker, one I have barely talked to since starting the job, drove my friend and me to the pharmacy, where my friend paid for my prescription and bought some food for dinner at work that night.

I will fully admit that there is a deep part of me that is quite ashamed of this story, that I would let myself become the person who would need that much help. However, the part that is just so grateful to have such a wonderful group of coworkers, who would be that kind, thoughtful, and resourceful to boot, much outweighs it.

The greatest part is the story above only accounts for a few of the awesome people I get to work beside daily. They are incredibly intelligent, and the ones who aren't...well, they're entertaining. They are diverse in beliefs and cultures but are so easily respectful of each other. And it seems to me that if you prove you're worth your salt, and willing to be just as openly fucking twisted as they are, they'll treat you like family.

It's the shit.