Every office has their collection of inside jokes, work traditions and unique stories to tell – like the time Mike became a bit tipsy at the 2012 Christmas party and rightfully earned the nickname ‘Magic Mike’. We’ve yet to let him live it down, but he doesn’t mind. In our office, we have no shortage of work adventures and good laughs to share. We like it that way. You spend the better part of your day with the same group of people, so why not make the best of it?
Our latest tradition sparked from our first lunch trip to a discount pizza joint in our local wholesale club. Don’t judge; it’s delicious. We walked in expecting to be carded by the greeter. To our amusement, we were welcomed with a warm smile as members of the club elite. With just four content writers on this journey, we swiftly made our way to the lunch line near the entrance, salivating at the scent of the pizza yet to come.
A Greasy, Delicious Tradition in the Making
The wait lasted about ten minutes but we finally had our box of pizza ready to be devoured. We anxiously opened it to find Flintstone-sized pizza slices, the type of oversized food that makes you think, “Challenge accepted”. Our first bite was magical; an exquisite mountain of cheese and pepperoni, with pizza grease spilling from the edges and onto our fingers. Just like that, we knew this was an IIS tradition in the making. Weekly pizza lunch dates while huddled around those small white tables with a couple of open boxes as we gossiped about work and life was relaxing. We’ve had to reschedule Pizza Wednesdays to Thursday – or as Katherine calls it, ‘Pizza Wednesdays on Thursdays’ – but the tradition still stands strong.
Employee Lunch Therapy – Au Revoir Pizza!
Riding along the modern health craze, I’ve since embarked on a new lifestyle and personal challenge in health. I love splurging on fatty foods, but I also love my health. Though it was fun while it lasted, my glorious days of regular doses of powdery carbs and greasy proteins are gone.
Since formally resigning from my high-carb days, and by default, Pizza Wednesdays on Thursdays, I realized how valuable these employee lunch dates were to our overall work morale. I miss my content team’s gossip sessions filled with easy laughter and good memories.
I tagged along to last week’s lunch date and stared at the pizza longingly, the smell a tantalizing tease. However, the company of my coworkers was worth the test of my willpower. I think I’ll keep joining my fellow pizza-eaters/coworkers for the simple pleasure of an enlightening round of table talk. A salad should keep me satiated…I hope.
Unlike us, if you happen to work in a high-stress environment, I’m sure you look forward to these occasional distractions from the daily workload. Who better to enjoy them with than the people you spend so many hours a day with? So, how about it? Set out to make new traditions with your coworkers and have fun.
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