Dear Colleagues,
My sincerest apologies I had to make this PSA confirm what you already fear is true; that I am not as quiet as I seem. The thing really is, I am actually not pretending to be, I am just transitioning…and no, it’s not what you think.
Truth is, the morning of April 1, 2021, when I walked in my black designer suit, was my first time in any place that seemed like an office. For 377 days before that day, I had been doing the ‘Work From Home’ thing, holding meetings in my shirt and briefs before the ‘call’.
My body must have thought I was pulling the April Fool’s stunt on it when I woke up early that morning and started the unusual routine of early bath and Lagos traffic but at the sight of white shirts, dapper suits, laptops and work desks, it started to adjust or so I thought until two hours later, reality started to set in… First was my tie; the ungrateful piece of cloth started to choke its owner and as though they planned it, my head joined, the cacophony of the shoes had become too much for it, it started to pound. I wanted to lie down, sit upside down, sing loud, run into the shower, and do everything I was used to but I couldn’t. Instead, I was forced to sit a type of way, deal with the AC and stare at cars and skyscrapers through the window.
Just as I was starting to deal with that, sleep came knocking. All of these and it wasn’t even 2 pm yet. I started to frequent the restroom, to wash my face, brush my hair and do anything but be caught dozing on my first day. The Easter break that followed had me convincing myself why it was okay to have sacrificed the comfort of working from my cozy bed but by Monday, April 6th when I resumed again, I had done a good job okay job at that.
It’s starting to get better these days but frankly, it’s a struggle sometimes. It will get better I am certain and I know this because it’s starting to feel like home, the team I mean. Until then though, please pardon my occasional weirdness, it’s not my fault, I’m just transitioning.
