How much it takes a colleague to become a dear friend?

desposhwetha · Jul 8, 2014

Eight crucial hours of every day; Office is a very major part of our life; when we age we age, we grow up with the colleagues; and incidentally they become our friends, family and people who we can trust; we meet people of all backgrounds and get to know a lot from everybody; Office shapes us; nurtures us and brings out the best in us; It gives us an identity and it ensures a future for us;
It is not very easy to get great friends in office who can be trusted and whose company you long for always. It takes quite some some time and when you work in a non IT form where man power is not the only resource it’s hard to gel with many

I work in a company which has male female ratio as 9:1 and so making friends was not very easy initially.
From the day I joined I faced a lot. And there was this female who was in her late 40’s who has been with this firm since its inception and who has all the power to command respect. Never occurred to me that we would even talk since I am not someone who has a tough attitude like her.
But it so happened that we were to work in the same cubicle and it happened that we were the only females in the floor.
She started talking professionally initially; then we teamed for luncheons. I eat bought out food; so she started bringing extra boxes for me and slowly we shared everything every day. I felt easy with her. I felt bored when she was not around and always looked up at her.
She was a no nonsense person who was full of optimism.
She took utmost care on me during my days of sickness; this is my first friendship with a lady of her calibrate and age. In fact I don’t even gel with my mom to this extent.

Took her out for a dinner along with her daughter and it was super fun! Feeling very happy.
Just thought of sharing

shrivni · Jul 8, 2014

That is Super Cool! We usually get close with our colleagues mainly because of sharing lunch. Our actual friendship starts from there. I have felt that. Happy for you!

anmolhai · Jul 8, 2014

That's wonderful!! Enjoy and cherish this friendship.

pantu · Jul 10, 2014

Your friendship is great ! Enjoy it.

SGBV · Jul 10, 2014

That is cool.

I too feel the same. I've made a lot of friends in this office. But I miss most of the fun days just like college days now. Those days I started my work as a junior executive, so we all were like fresh graduates, and continued the same funny days here in this office. Friendship, love, tears, fun, sharing, caring, hating, gossiping, and everything was there.
Specially when we were sent to various countries for work shops or training, we enjoyed it as if we are having a fun trip. We never behaved like professionals out of our business times.
After office times too, we had a lot of fun programmes. We almost forgot our personal friends after coming here. We as a team would go to movies, beach and wild trips on weekends, and celebrate everyone's special days (B'day, anniversaries etc..etc..) in their homes with a lot of fun.

It was all some years back. Now that we are promoted in both career and personal lives as Snr managers/parents. Although we are very young at heart (in early 30s), we can't have the same fun here.

The fun when we were working in the cubical is nomore after having individual organized office room. The routine work is much less, but the responsibility is high.

When I am sitting inside my closed room, and having no one to laugh or talk my heart out, it makes me feel sad. Although some of my old colleagues are still in this same office, but we all are busy in our own work, and there is absolutely no time to enjoy those fun days.

I wish I will go back to the same job, same colleagues, and same lovey days...