OK, I work in a building where (over three shifts) eight other men, and fifty-three women also work. I am sitting around about two days before Valentine’s day. I get an idea, and yank the chains of my seven male coworkers. We pitch in a few bucks each, buy five dozen roses. I print up a little sign, telling the ladies that we wanted each of them to get a rose on Valentine’s day.
I am off that day, but one of my pals brings in the flowers. Hey, this is gonna make their day for a whole lot of nice ladies, right? Bzzzzzzzzz. Wrong, This makes the day of a couple of dozen or so women on morning shift, by which time all the flowers are gone, including the additional dozen brought in at the last minute by one of my buddies. My direct coworkers got squat. Night shift didn’t even get rumors.
Posting guards didn’t occur to me. Seventy-two flowers, and I am absolutely certain most of the ladies took only one. Some small number (I hope) of useless fucking greedy selfish bitches could not overcome the impulse to just grab as many as they could get. I have asked around, no one seems to know exactly who did the grabbing. I really want to know. I don’t intend to do anything about it this year, but I want to know who to leave off the one each list for the next ten years.
I am so fucking pissed. There is no way anyone could not understand that whatever they took was something intended for someone else. This has to be a simple case of “gimmie gimmie, quick I want more!” I certainly understand why, after all, this fucking grasping bitch certainly can’t get much in the way of romantic gifts from close associates. Everyone who knows her must lock their shit up when she comes around. Die lonely, you sleazebag!
You should add ‘illiterate’, since you did have a sign printed.
That was very thoughtful of you and your co-workers, Triskadecamus. Please don’t let a few selfish bitches stop you from doing something for the office ladies next year. Maybe, you could hand-deliver roses to the worthy ones instead?
Everyone knows, of course, that the prettiest women who are loved the most should AUTOMATICALLY get the most roses. Apparently, those that took more than one rose were well in their rights to do so.
Commiseration and respect, Trisk. You did a fine, generous, thoughtful thing.
Not to suck the air outta the topic or get overly heavy, but people who attack flowers like sharks on chum have gaping holes romance writers, particle physicists and Freud can’t justify.
Sad but true, I fear. The ones who grabbed and ran–ignoring all others–were so empty they stole symbols. That doesn’t help your hijacked gesture of respect and consideration. What a sad, tacky, greedy, pointless thing to do.
Sounds like a real CAT FIGHT! The gals took as many as they could and placed them at their work stations to show that they were the most loved and respected. If one senses another women is getting ahead…look out,there’s going to be trouble.
Tris, that was a lovely gesture on your part. As usual, Veb says it best. But please don’t let someone’s selfish action dissuade your kindness. When someone(s) does that, they’re trying to fill a big hole in their heart in the worst of ways. It’s sad, but wish 'em well, shake your head and let em be.
Can you send a “virtual rose” to all the ladies in your building, noting that your intention was for every sweet one to get a real rose, but, unfortunately, that was foiled? The sentiment is as real as a rose, and the perpetrator will undoubtably take notice.
The best laid plans…
Ya did yer best; human nature is another beast altogether.
Leave it to Valentine’s Day to crush the last shreds of my belief in the decency of human beings. sigh
Okay, maybe not. Leave it to Tris to remind me why I harbored such a belief in the first place. Class act, Tris.
And I dearly hope that someone comes forward with identifying information. This situation simply begs for public exposure, ridicule, shame and condemnation. All sins forgiven, of course, as soon as the offender(s) apologize personally to every woman who was robbed of the fruits of your generosity.
BTW – if you ould like to make good on the roses for your fellow nightshift workers, I will gladly chip in a few dollars.
Thanks everyone for your emotional support. I had a fairly good day apologizing loudly to all the ladies who didn’t get roses, and explaining in my best stage whisper that someone evidently had never gotten a valentine before in her life, and had to grab as much as she could, since she probably would never get another.
I’m pretty good at being quotable, when I want, so this way, the bitch herself will get the message, and I don’t have to bother knowing who she is. I had ‘em layin’ in the aisles laughing about the “poor lonely thing,” watching her dozen roses wilting, and telling her neighbors how much her coworkers care for her. People were saying enough out loud by this evening that I am sure the intended one will hear her public perception. And she knows that there are some who know who she is, so she will assume everyone does.
{aside to Monty: No. no way, In fact one of those guys went out at lunch and shelled out of pocket for an additional dozen, just because he felt so bad about the folks he works with not getting one. We were psyched about this.}
Triskadecamus: I just wanted to chime in to say that you and the guys you work with are a real class act. I’m sure that all of the women who didn’t get a rose understand and still appreciate what you did. I know I would.
Thanks for the kind and generous offer. I gave 'em all candy kisses in person, the very next day, along with an apology. It seemed to make up for it. The other guys and I all agree on name tapes around the roses, next year.
On the whole, I must admit the gesture seems to have had a very pleasing reception, even with the marred delivery. Fourteen ladies received no flower, and six were off or out of the building that day. Three ladies I had not counted (working our building that day, but not permanent staff) did receive flowers, as did another lady I had not counted, but should have. (She works in another building, but she is one of us for a lot of reasons.) So, 53 + 4 - 14 - 6 = 37 ladies received a surprise rose on Valentine’s day. All evidence indicates that it made them happy. Thirty-five roses went astray. Eight guys, six bucks each, one guy an extra eight bucks, and he didn’t want reimbursement. (Thank God for Costco Roses)
You and your fellow male co-workers are wonderful men.
It is terrible that some people will take advantage of such things, but I am glad that it sounds like this is a practice that you will continue in the years to come.
If you find out names I bet we could round up a vigilante group and take care of it for you. You know there was such a thing as the SD mob for a while. Maybe you should look some of them up?