I can’t believe I did what I did at lunch today. I’m confused! Should I be horribly mortified? Proud? No matter what, it took balls to do it.
Just before our company lunch meeting, I saw our HR person and the systems guy setting up a projector. I thought it was for another one of those organizational PowerPoint presentations, so I didn’t pay much attention to it. Shortly thereafter though, I saw this pop up on the screen “00000 Select a song”. Oh man, that can only mean one thing: karaoke. I remember thinking, “there’s no way that this is going to be a good idea!” As my team was eating lunch, we were listening to some of our colleagues belting out a tune of two, and we were all shaking our heads, thinking that this was stuff straight out of an episode of The Office. Yeah, I know, right? Still. I didn’t have a desire to go up there and make a scene of myself in front of my colleagues. In passing, going back to my desk, I suggested that someone do Bohemian Rhapsody, thinking that it’s the type of song where people can join in and legitimately act like an idiot and still have it be acceptable. The systems guy kind of lit up at the idea and said that he’d do it if I joined in. I was hesitant and told them to just start it up and that maybe I’d join in.
So, as the words started rolling the administrative assistant and the HR lady were calling me to join. Maybe it was a lapse of judgement but I went up there and joined in behind them. It took a moment or two to find my voice. I eventually did…and for whatever reason I decided that I wanted to really give it some gusto, so I took the microphone from the secretary. The systems guy had the other mike. And there we were, really giving it on a really long song.
Bohemian-fucking-Rhapsody. 
CHEE.
Someone was taking pictures. Employees were looking on and laughing either with or at us. It was kind of unreal. By the end of the song, the systems guy and I stopped and waited for reaction. And? Nothing. “Tough crowd!” he exclaimed. Indeed. I don’t think we were bad at all! No clapping? Whatever.
We’re a tech company proliferated by introverts and geek types. Does that type of demographic lend itself to cheering on for something like that? Or is it more likely that they’d just avoid eye contact after the fact? Did I get any respect points for putting myself out there like I did? To be honest, I wasn’t embarrassed, though…part of me feels like I should have some sort of reaction other than satisfied. However…nope! I felt fine.
The world has gone all upside down, I say. How uncharacteristically un-Jason!
(except…is it?)
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5 comments
Julius says:
Sat. April 5, 2008 at 7:03 pm (UTC -4 )
You just gave into your filipino genes. You had no choice.
Jay says:
Sat. April 5, 2008 at 10:18 pm (UTC -4 )
That…is entirely observant and accurate.
kyleen says:
Sun. April 6, 2008 at 7:57 am (UTC -4 )
I would pay money to see that on You Tube!
Sqwee! Totally fun!
Wegrit says:
Sun. April 6, 2008 at 8:37 am (UTC -4 )
Oh come on, a little karaoke is never a bad idea. Then again, karaoke and drunkenness go hand in hand and this implies no drunkenness, so I’m at a loss about how to process this!
Jay says:
Sun. April 6, 2008 at 11:12 pm (UTC -4 )
kyleen, as far as I know no one had a video camera. I’m kind of glad, but yeah, I don’t want to admit it but it was kind of fun.
Wegrit, it’s funny you mention that because my PM was telling me before I went up that this is the sort of thing that should be done after a few beers. I agreed. Indeed, there was no drunkenness involved, so..I’m stumped.