Thankless is not always about not giving thanks

    Thankless is not always about not giving thanks

Mike entered the room. He looks around and hopes for some type of change, some kind of transformation that will encourage him to stay, or at least, to recline in the atmosphere that will bring him satisfaction. He walks slowly to his desk, and he asks himself softly “I wonder if this is my desk, despite the fact that I know it comes with the territory, or is it really just a loan.” He then cautiously sits in his desk and looks at the draws on it and the pile of papers on top of the desk and then at the four walls which seem to call out to him to begin the unrewarding tasks of the day. Mike then states to himself “Speaking of something being “Just a loan, I know what it is like to be, alone. If only rewards were given for puns such as that.” He begins the day.

As Mike shuffles through the articles on his desk, Cindy walks in slowly, stops and looks at Mike and then says slowly “ Mike you don’t want to start the day that way, or time will really seem to drag, as much as bureau does sometimes. So I guess you can start by making a copy of this.” She hands him sevefal documents and Mike takes it gingerly and slowly brings it in front of his face and says “Another milestone in the life of, oh, I forgot my name, and my role, and other assorted duties here. It seems that has been happening a lot lately, and not just to me.”

Bill, usually vibrant and business like but with occasional with and humor and basically approachable for social talk, is the assistant to the person who just happens to be in the supervisory role of the office at the time, walks in cautiously and stands beside Cindy. He looks around the room and then walks halfway around and it then approaches Mike with a deliberately careful pace. Bill stands in front of Mike and then says “I don’t know what is happening. I agree with you Mike. This job may seem to be one where appreciation runs thin. OH, and speaking of running thin, I got to get down to the lab and get going on my tasks for the day, or after a while I may become thin, from lack of lunch breaks. Isn’t that right Cindy? After Cindy laughs a little and looks at Mike and then at the four walls, she begins to walk out, when Mike sighs and says softly, “Now we have another comedian in our place and I suppose you two are going to tag team me after the coffee break. However, it is fine. It will make the time drag on less, and if it is one thing I know about here, is dragging along.” After Cindy chuckles and thanks Mike for the slight humor, she reassures him that he will be fine, even if recognition is not a common occurrence and then she walks down the hall to the next room. Mike then starts to fidget with the staple gun and the hole puncher and thinks to himself “At least another person notices the four walls around here and they know what I am up against, each wall, one at a time.” After he speaks louder on his acute use of words, he starts to ruffle some papers together,, wondering “I wonder who will notice this.”

Meanwhile in another end of the office, Jan is assembling some of the articles of information together that she is going to use for her presentation. She thinks about a few of the tasks that she was involved with involving several of the co-workers and clients and then resolves to put some of the information together in a workable format. She looks at the style and content of the presentation vividly and then begins to wonder about how Mike is doing as he has been giving hints that appreciation or just knowing that he is there has not been shown to much. She wonders if this is just a phase or there is more to it than that, as she begins to think about how she will present the material that is in front of her. Jan then notices Frank, a medium sized action-oriented, firm and fair type of person who has neither a role of clerk or manager but somewhere in between. He walks in slowly but assertively and goes to his desk and begins to handle some of the important documents that he will use in to teach with in his next class. He approaches Jan and looks at her affirmatively and lets her know without saying a word of what she has offered and she returns the favor. Then, Frank then seriously says “I don’t know why but I was thinking about Mike and how he must feel that he is unnoticed around here.” Jan then pauses as she looks at Frank, who then says “ I was wondering that too and it is not that I haven’t thought of that before, but usually I don’t come right out and say it.” Pete, the assistant to the manager, more the organized, driven business type, but receptive to occasional wit and conversation, has been standing by the door listening, which is odd for him since Pete usually walks right in. He then more intensely says “Listen that may be true, but maybe if the walls could talk, they would tell Mike to get in gear, and if the ceiling could add in a few words of encouragement, perhaps Mike would have no need to converse with all four walls.” Both Frank and Jan knew that Pete was sometimes bold and sarcastic, but this time, they also recognized there was also something sincere and earnest in Pete’s words, and Pete realized this too.

Mike then walks down the hall to the empty room where there are some supplies dispersed around and several books on a shelf. He is supposed to get a few things together and give them to, according to him, is the first person to see him. He looks cautiously and asks himself “ I wonder who I shall have the honor of giving these articles and what level of thanks I shall receive? “ He contemplates. If Cindy notices him first, he  believes that she will approach her with the same lowness and imperceptible quality that he feels he has been exhibiting and impressing upon others for a long time. She will pass it on to either Jan or Bill, who will then complete the chain. Mike then he says to himself “If things really get confusing, these items may wind up with Frank or Pete, or perhaps, the director, Joe, himself, and then I will really be talked about more, and thanked less. Mike then returns some of the items to Nancy who was one of the newest members of the organization and she vigilantly take them down the hall. Nancy thanks Mike and nods in approval and as she leaves, Mike thinks to himself “The most recently accepted person in this place thanks me, but she is new, and soon she will be like all the rest.  In time she will express, as others have, though sometimes not aware of it of course, will unequivocally with few words and more subtle gestures, confirm to me, the thankless job that I have. However, I have my office, which, is only a rental and what I believe to be, as not recognized as part of the main building, to converse with, and if the walls had ears, they would affirm, then ignore, me.”

Bill then walks from the lab to return to his desk and begins to compile some information when Mike walks by him and looks in rather tentatively. After Bill puts some documents in a folder and places them on the desk, he looks at Mike. After a few seconds Mike asks “Bill, I know you came from the lab and now are getting ready for some heavy research, but don’t mind me, for this thankless job I have does have some benefits.” Bill then softly laughs but seems to try to convey to Mike that his job is not as thankless as one might think. Mike seems to receive the idea and both look puzzled that each was able to decode this information. As did a few members of the office will affirm, these type of thinking often eludes them, but not much today.

Mike then remembers talking to Jan earlier today when he thought she was pre-occupied with Frank and not really notice him on the same level. Mike recalls that he made a similar comment to Jan and she, pardoned Frank despite their conversation did not come to a completion, to respond to Mike. This was a slightly unusual occurrence in itself and after several seconds of silence, Jan said a few words to Mike, but more peculiarly, suggested to Mike that his job, although seemingly thankless, was a bit more than that.’ Frank then approached both Mike and Jan, and usually he was preoccupied with his role as not exactly defined but in the middle of two other ones. He asks Jan to help him get some materials together and then turns to Mike and asks “You can do something for me too, and it may seem trivial but you and I and, lately, everyone else will seem to be able to recognize its importance.” Mike looks at Jan who looks at him happily and then nods at Frank. He comes closer and then says “I know it was hard to say that, since you and the other members don’t say it, but that doesn’t mean you, though probably unaware, don’t think it. For that, I thank you, for this job may seem thankless, but not when everyone is pulling for me and the cause.” The other members of the office come in, one at a time and then Joe, the director says. “We came in, without bumping into each other, that is itself an odd occurrence. Also we are in the same room and are not at odds with each other, and more importantly, we stand before Mike, who may seem to have a thankless job. I usually don’t speak to everyone at once harmoniously but I am glad I did. Mike then realizes to himself “All the clues given seem to lead to the conclusion that he has a job that is thankless and unnoticeable and that may be most of the time. However, times like these, especially this time now, today, has given a piece to the puzzle that there is more than one way to not be considered thankless.”