Orientation

I finally attended new employee orientation, which has generally continued to take place every Monday since I began temping in August. This company is growing quickly during its "comeback."

Even though I officially became permanent a week ago today, it was the Thanksgiving holiday week and our division was short-staffed Monday and Tuesday. As a result, my supervisor received approval for me to skip orientation last week to help out in the office.

Every week, human resources posts the names, photos, general information and an interesting fact about each new employee in all of the company break rooms at the midtown office, the downtown office and the TV studios.

It took me awhile to think of my interesting fact. I mulled over several options, but after awhile I started to realize how interesting I wasn't. I couldn't think of anything extremely interesting at all. I guess I was looking for something extravagant ... like "I speak Swahili" or "I have six toes" or "I've gone skydiving over the Alps" ... I actually have a friend who has done that last one.

Some viable options were:
- I was arrested in Bermuda when I was 11 years old by the U.S. military police.
- I plan to marry Matthew McConaughey, Wentworth Miller or the model in the Sean John billboard down in the Bryant Park station by the end of Q4.
- I have a series of metal plates and screws in my face.
- I can recite the entire alphabet backwards.

In the end, I chose:
- I placed first in the Bermuda IronKids Triathlon for girls in the 12 year old bracket in 1992.

Later after the photos were posted in all of the break rooms, I realized that I sound like one of those people who hold on to a past achievement, like those who are always correcting another's grammar or spelling because they were the 4th grade spelling bee champion.

I should have gone with my special RoboCop-like features.