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The Rat Race

You wouldn't date a coworker because you don't eat where you shit, right? I have had the same mentality with coworkers. Well... Except for Doc because we're like Batman and Robin. For the longest time, I tried to keep my distance from most because I didn't want to be involved with all the bullshit. When I was the new girl at the clinic, I became part of a clique, and we would bring lunch and have a potluck every other day. Then they began quitting one by one until all 4 of them were gone. I figured I would never be a part of a group at work again. What's the point? Besides, keeping up with office rumors waste so much time and energy. Or what if I overshared with the wrong person? I should stay focused since I'm just there to work and get paid.

Then I met Maria, and she wasn't like the other coworkers, AKA she wasn't like other girls. Maria did housekeeping at the clinic, and she's so kind and generous. She always brought food to share and asked everyone in the breakroom if they wanted a bite—even the ones who always said no. So we all began bringing food and had potlucks again. Only we would bring the ingredients and make fresh guacamole in the breakroom. We brought fruit and would cut it in the clinic to serve everybody; that was the norm. We even left the cutting board and a knife around, just in case.

Unlike my last posse, we hang out outside of work. We had a Friendsgiving at her house and had a blast. So when she told me yesterday, I repeat YESTERDAY, that her last day is TOMORROW, I was speechless. They didn't give her a two-week notice and told her she didn't have a job overnight. It isn't new; the same thing happened to our previous housekeeper. Every year, housekeeping companies compete for contracts with healthcare facilities, and once a new company is in, the staff from the last company is history. Higher up see them as disposable and replaceable. Not to mention they're severely underpaid for their hard labor. Then to give someone a one-day notice is repulsive! That's the fucking cherry on top because they don't know who's living paycheck to paycheck. I am disgusted with how these pieces of shit are inconsiderate with their decisions, and they disregard how drastically they can affect someone's livelihood.

Meanwhile, we're the ones running the rat race. Some run a rougher race on a shittier terrain, but at least we're in this rat race together, except for the few in power who are probably sipping champagne right now.