Drama at "Da Plant"

I have a temporary job at a manufacturing facility in the Columbia, SC. I am no stranger to "plant" work, as I worked at Tupperware Manufacturing for 2 years back in my hometown of Hemingway, SC. What amazes me is no matter what type of product the company is making, the scene is always the same: "Drama at the Plant".

Last night, one of the workers went in the breakroom to call her boyfriend. We will call her Tasha It's not like I had been trying to hear her conversation. She was talking low, but loud enough for anyone near her to hear. She was talking about how people were always in her business and that they need to mind their m**** f****** business. Her boyfriend must have asked her a question, cause she replied, " Yeah she tried to come up and start a conversation with me but I was real short with her, you know what I am saying, like I wasn't feeling it." I was sitting here thinking "Oh boy, here comes the soap operas at night. Please don't have nothing popping off in here for everybody to talk about both of yall."

Two hours later the line that I was working on was relieved to go on lunch break. Tasha was back in the breakroom talkingwith another worker. Just then another lady comes at sit at the table that I am at (We will call her Shenika). She happens to work on the line with me. So Shenika is talking about her new house, how her and her boyfriend were doing good and that they were saving up to get some additional items for the house. Then she starts talking about there are haters everywhere. OKAY... I have already caught on to the fact that she and Tasha were the ones having issues with each other. So Shenika starts talking about how you try to help people and they give you their ass to kiss, then speaks in a low tone about how she told Tasha the floor supervisor was pissed off at her the other night for taking a long lunch break. She says Tasha got mad and was like people need to stay out of her m****f***** businesses. "Now she is going around talking trash, when she doesn't realize that everything that is said people come back and tell me." Mind you, Tasha is sitting right in front of us at another table. All I could say is "Please don't do this right now. Nobody trying to break up a fight at 3:00 in the morning." So I simply told Shenika, "Sometimes, it just pays to be by yourself. No one should come into a work force for friends. Sure you may gain some associates in the process. I just find it better to just come to work, do what you are supposed to do and go home." Shenika agreed with that, but I know she was doing all that to see if Tasha was going to get riled up and pop off on her. Meanwhile Tasha is up front and she is talking to the same co worker she sat in the breakroom with, and I could tell she was talking trash about Shenika to him. Such a pity.

My thing is, if your business is all out in the open, it is bound to be spread. The story line seem to be the same. Someone is hating on another person because they dress nice, hair is always done, or simply because they chose not to hang with the popular crowd at the job. There is nothing wrong with having general conversations on the job, like talking about the latest movie or tv show. However I believe your personal business is just that: personal. That should stay between you and your homegirl, homeboy, significant other, especially when you are talking about relationships. Some people may not be able to take your joy and happiness the same way as you do. When people broadcast their business like that it's either going to gain you popularity or hateration.

Personally I tend to stay to myself until I can get the feel of the envirornment. I know for fact these people may not be the type I can share secrets with ( I don't have any so it don't even matter). Yet if I can work with them and can carry on a general conversation, that's all that matters to me. There are other things that I focus on in life that have higher priorites than the drama on the plant floor. I am here for the paycheck. Next.

Hopefully there will not be any drama tonight.