Office Christmas Party

I've heard that it is a bad year for the office holiday party. One source said that 65% of them had been cut nationwide. Aside from just cutting expenses, many companies feel that holiday parties are a little awkward when everyone is worried about lay-offs.

I wouldn't have minded if ours had been canceled, but we went ahead with it anyway. Only one person who had been cut last week actually showed up, so the awkwardness was kept to a minimum. But because I've never really developed the "mingling skill". Not knowing how to mingle is bad when you are in the business world since there a lot of functions (often attended by many important people) where mingling is expected. Golf and mingling should have been taught in business school. Small talk bores me anyway and I can’t see how I can just insert myself into a conversation already in flight without looking rude or looking like a stunned dork while I stand around waiting for an ‘in’ on the conversation.

But it's the greetings that really confuse me. I see my co-workers who barely nod greetings to each other everyday, all of a sudden hugging and kissing at the Christmas party. I'm all for hugging and kissing but I just can't bring myself to do it at the party. Should it be a lip kiss? Cheek kiss? Air kiss? Too confusing.

A couple of drinks may have helped the situation, but I was the designated driver for a group of five of us from Summit county. Another disadvantage to being the guy with the mini-van I suppose.

Over all it wasn't a bad evening. The food was good and it was nice to see everyone dressed up. I just need to learn to kiss my co-workers, I guess.