Company Christmas parties can be a fantastic way to let go of work frustrations, or get along with that employee who you constantly disagree with, or even show your fun side with coworkers. Parties come in all shapes and sizes. One year, my unit decided to have a Mug Exchange. I don't drink coffee, but I participated and brought in a mug.
Rules were simple. Someone picks a present (wrapped or bagged mug). A present could be stolen indefinitely until all the presents were picked. If a present was stolen from you you could not steal but pick from the un-chosen pile. I was watching one of the other members anticipating his turn and eyeing a particular present. I think others were noticing as well. The present he was eyeing was picked by someone else. When it came to his turn, he quickly called to steal it. Others quickly kept stealing the same present cause it was the fanciest present and they knew it was highly desired by this individual. He finally got the present back in his possession.
I looked around and realized that I was conveniently the last person to pick a present. This member was someone I enjoyed picking on to get a rise out of him. I saw this as an opportunity to mess with him. I didn't care what mug I got. I just wanted to have a little naughty fun in raising his anxiety a little. I stole the present from him when it became my turn. He, unfortunately had to pick the last present from the pile.
He was so upset, he explained that it was his own present that he brought in. It was a mug with Marvel super heroes tiled on all around it. They were sold at Meijer but the Meijer he got it from only had one and he couldn't find it anywhere else. He was hoping to pick his own present so he could have what he really wanted.
Drill was over and I went back to work. However, before I traveled to my work site location, I went to Meijer and i found the same mug. I bought it and placed it on his desk. Since it was a Monday he was not at work because the full timers work 4 days, 10 hours a day, Tuesday-Thursday. I left a note saying, "I saw someone played a naughty trick on you. Thought you would like to have what you really wanted for Christmas. ~Santa." I wrote it in the best penmanship as I could to make it look light and airy and magical.
I got to my hotel room that evening and took a picture of the mug on my hotel desk with the coffee pot and free coffee packages. I sent the picture to him saying how awesome it'll be to drink hot chocolate out of it. He was still upset and told me he hopes I enjoy it. The next day he sends me a message asking why I gave him back the mug. I said I didn't and took another picture to prove I still had mine. I convinced him enough that it wasn't me. This made him more upset cause now he had a puzzle to solve and he always has to figure out the answer.
I found out from other members that he spent days going around getting their signatures on a form so he could analyze the handwriting with the note I left. I kept the secret for a couple of months before I came out with the truth that it was me. Afterwards, we clinked identical mugs for a while drinking coffee and hot chocolate.
Commentaires