Is it just me or does anyone else find the morning elevator ride up with the most awkward moments on earth?
I could think of any number of preferred uncomfortable scenarios that I would happily endure, turning up to work with my clothes inside out, having my boss walk in on me in the toilet, catching a collegue kissing the boss…..rather than endure another morning with strangers who stare at the unopened silver metal door, silently willing it to open and praying that no one else enters the lift so they don't have to endure the slow, steady disembarkation of more strangers at every level on the way to their small grey cubicle where they will spend the rest of their day.
When standing for the lift on your carparking level, I have been known to will the doors to close faster to just miss the entry of the General Manager or any other superior whom, I may not quite be able to face at 7.30 in the morning.
Today though, I was enjoying watching this stange ritualistic event and I almost burst out laughing.
In an effort to stifle it, possibly in a hysterical involuntary response to the air of uncomfortableness, I produced what could only be described as a very inappropriate snort, on my own journey from undercover dark car park to my small grey cubicle when two men entered the lift after getting their morning coffee.
I see these two men regularly getting their coffee, and these meetings downstairs are met each day with looks of guilty pleasure and almost a delight at having escaped the office for a few stolen moments in which they can discuss the latest football drama, the wife's unreasonable demands or perhaps a hushed exchanged slander of a colleague.
Upon entering the elevator, they entered the silent world of elevator rules and regulations.
1. There is to be no talking between strangers.
2. Any words exchanged are to be brief before one is to recommence staring at the silver door. Nervous coffee sipping is acceptable but this must not impact your ability to maintain one's eye gaze on the door.
3. It is definitely not appropriate to look at anyone else in the elevator, even if the eye contact is just admiring a particularly stylish handbag or snappy pair of shoes.
4. If any brief pleasantries are exchanged, they are to take place quickly before both parties are to return into an awkward silence to allow time to ponder if another pleasantry will need to be exchanged upon ones departure from the elevator.
These two men abruptly finished their conversation as they entered the stifling box, and proceeded to conform to the door staring, mindless ascent to face the work day. What made me almost laugh, strangely enough, was the nervous sipping at the paper coffee cup that is held onto and sipped at as almost a support for the uncomfortable, awkward ride that seems never to end. The funniest part of this is that each, sip, slurp and gulp is magnified in the deafening silence.
What is it about western society and in particular westerners, that creates this spacial uncomfortableness and fear of interacting with strangers in small confined spaces? Having been packed on the trains on Tokyo and faced with a whole new dimension of spacial issues, I wonder if the trip to the grey cubicle may be made that little more enjoyable by breaking down some barriers and perhaps commenting on those snappy shoes you were eyeing off or making the effort to ask some questions of the person you have been standing next to on your daily ascent for the last three years.
Who knows maybe even romance could ignite in that small silver box?
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