Down Anastasia!

Right now, I’m sitting in the cafeteria at work. It’s actually quite a beautiful spot. I’m surrounded by windows and through them a wonderful view. A pond, some lingering Canadian geese and lots of trees and shrubbery sporting typical fall foliage – the colours are breathtaking really. Inside, there are lots of conversations going on around me at once. It’s a hush that falls over the room, this muffled talking that surrounds me. I’m watching people who are rushed and only taking the time to buy their lunch; hurrying back to their desks and the mountains of work they feel obligated to return quickly to. Others are taking what is probably a much needed break (myself included). Just a few moments to get away realizing the re-charging power a break can give you. A break that prepares you for the crazy work-filled afternoon that is sure to follow. And in the midst of this lunchtime symphony, I sit here in the middle of the room completely invisible. Like I have borrowed Harry’s cloak. I can watch everyone yet no one can see me watching and it occurs to me that I take on multiple personalities on any given day at work.

Some days I am a fortune teller. I have a Russian accent and ridiculously long fingernails. I have a mole or two on my chin with hairs growing out of them and I’m surrounded by rich, deep shades of purple and royal blue. My name on these days is Anastasia (probably because I loved the animated film) and I have to look through my crystal ball to predict the future to ensure we make the right choices and keep our customers happy. Other times I am the ringleader of a circus. I imagine my name is Octavio (for some reason, I’m a man with this persona) and I’m tall and skinny. I have very bushy eyebrows, a handlebar mustache and my legs are insanely long compared to the rest of my body. It’s my job to entertain the crowd while keeping the show moving along. Making sure the clowns are doing their job (even though I really hate clowns) and wondering if the acrobats are performing as safely as they assure me they are or if they are just showing off. Every once in a while, when a show isn’t going so well, I’m punished. Blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back. Being pushed down the mouth of a cannon which the clowns threaten to light to propel me skyward and land who knows where. (Damn those clowns!) Sometimes, I am a nurse. Betty perhaps? (I think I watch way too many movies!) Taking care of the very sick, figuring out ways to make them feel better and yes, some days it feels like I’m changing bedpans. I’m short and blonde and I only wear the dress style uniform with the little hats that nurses wear in old movies. I wear white sneakers for comfort; the kind that squeak on the floor with every step. I am admired as Nurse Betty because I can usually mend what is broken and I work well under pressure when there is an emergency.

Its crazy busy at work these days and I long for my invisibility cloak. Something I can throw over my head when it gets to be too much and I want to take an hour to just hide and watch and be myself with all the other personalities tucked away in my desk drawer. I should take lunch breaks more often…I think Anastasia is starting to take over!