True Tales of a Talker #3: The Windy Edition

I was born to talk. Not just talk but sing. Not just sing but singly loudly. And often. So when I’m all alone at work in the morning I take advantage of the empty building and belt it out.

Each morning at 4 am, I wake up, brush my teeth, get dressed and head to the central office of Maine Veterans’ Homes. I’m usually there by quarter to 5. I clock in, take my temperature (it’s required due to the COVID-19), write it down then head to my desk to work. The lights turn on automatically with every step I take. I feel like I am walking onto a stage.

And what a stage it is. A few thousand square feet on hallway, offices and cubicles.

I sit down at my desk and turn on my heater because it is always cold. I use the heater all year long. I keep sweaters, blankets and such nearby. I try to always wear long sleeve shirts, too. During the summer I can usually get by with just the heater blowing.

I plug in my phone, my iPod and my headphones to charge. I log into my computer and get ready to start the day. My days always begin with a song.

While things are booting up I log into my Pandora or Accuradio account and put on music to break the silence. I have always worked better with music. I even studied in school better with it on. The only thing I can’t do with music is fall asleep to it. I wind up singing along whether it’s in my head or out loud. The out loud can make for a very irritable hubby. Silence it is.

There are so many styles of music to choose from. I usually start with the oldies. 50s and 60s are so much fun. I have to travel back and forth to the printer multiple times for the first couple of hours so dancing my way from chair to the printer and back again makes me a much happier employee.

I must admit my dance moves aren’t the most recent but anything that can get you moving and your blood pumping is a great way to start the day. There is definitely time to kill when reports are running  so Motown is my jam. With the downward snapping of the fingers combined with front stepping action and some head bobbing I could have been a Pip or a Coaster or a Top. I put on quite the show.

A show for myself.

Before the pandemic hit, my coworkers would see me from time to time pony from place to place. My earbuds make it possible to take the music with me wherever I go. Jitterbugging down the hallway is always fun. If I meet up with a fellow employee on the way it never stops me from dancing. I am pretty comfortable with myself to keep on keepin’ on.

Music on a phone call really helps put the person on the other end of the line at ease. I remember calling an insurance to discuss a claim and the representative’s name was Wendy. I also have a sister named Wendy. Growing up we were very close (we still are) and with being born in the 70s the song ‘Windy' by The Association was synonymous with her name. If it came on the radio we would sing it at the top of our lungs and Wendy enjoyed it.

This particular Wendy on the other end of the line had a very monotone voice. No inflection nor excitement was heard on my receiver. It sounded like a person who really didn’t want to be working that day. I couldn’t let her day be that sad. Granted, I didn’t know what was happening in her life to make her sound that way but what I COULD do was possibly take away some of the boredom or dissatisfaction of having to talk to me. I had to try, right?

I started out with my usual chipper voice and asked how she was. She said in her flat tone that she was “fine”. I’m a woman and I know that when a woman says she’s “fine” she isn’t.

I decided to pounce on the opportunity of trying my best to make her day. I asked her while she was looking up the information “Wendy, has anyone ever sang a song to you?”

“No, ma’am.” She replied dryly.

I told her “I hope you don’t mind but I can’t resist. I have a sister named Wendy and each time my family heard a certain song we sang it to her.”

She laughed. The laugh that sounded like she didn’t know what she was in for. And she didn’t, I’ll give her that. “Okaaaaay….” It sounded like she thought I was a little crazy. Aren’t we all?

So I started singing “Who’s walking down the streets of the city smiling at everybody she sees? Who’s reaching out to capture a moment? Everyone knows it’s (and I changed the lyric) WENDY!”

There was quiet on the other end of the line.

Finally, there was a burst of laughter!

“Oh my God!” she laughed. “No one has ever done that before!” And she kept on laughing.

I told her ”Wendy, thank you for letting me do that. I miss my sister very much. She lives far away from home and we don’t get to talk often enough. It made my day I could do that!”

She responded “Well, it made my day that you did it.”

After that, the tone of her voice changed, the claim was sent back for reprocessing and it paid a few weeks later. When I got the payment in the mail, I remembered our phone call. With my headphones on I googled the song. I pressed play and the bass guitar started to play. Sitting at my desk I did my best air guitar impression and jammed out. My supervisor walked by at that moment, shook her head and smiled and proceeded to the copier.

Just another normal day at work for this talker.