Peter Tatara: Movie Star
Peter Tatara - December 14, 2008
So, my office is making a video. The finer details aren't for me to know, but it's some kind of internal morale booster. I've been told it's about spotlighting employee diversity, but from everything I've actually been a part of, I think it's supposed to be some kind of vaccine to prevent us feeling blue in light of the economy tanking. The world may be falling apart around us, but we're still awesome.
I was tapped on the shoulder to be a part of it a day ago. No real warning, just a charming British lady with a camera walking into my office. I'm my company's poster boy for diversity. I may be a white male, but it's what's under the hood that counts, and what's under the hood is a magic wunderkind who knows far too much about comic books, cartoons, and the internet. The wunderkind thing is actually pretty self-styled and something I've gone to great lengths to perpetuate. The inability to grow a full beard, walking into the office with bedhead, and pairing a suit jacket and jeans have gotten me pretty far, and I'm scared shitless about the fact that I'll be turning 26 soon, and at some point I'm going to have to give up the boy genius act or it'll just look really, really, really, really sad.
I'm trying to think up something snarky to say about the video shoot, but I really can't. We went to a local comic store, and I said my piece about how I got my job, all the opportunities it's given me, and how I and my job give back to the company. The amusing bit, as I was saying all this, is that another company had made me a job offer just a few days prior and I was considering walking away as I was talking about how much I love what I do. Don't get me wrong, I do love it, but it's a love wrapped in worry, smothered in stress, and encased inside enormous egos. I pondered if they could still use my bit -- one of the cornerstones of the video -- if I didn't technically work for the company anymore.
And the really amusing bit? Talking about my job, discussing what I do, and listing out all my achievements and initiatives made me really, really want to stay. More than my heart-to-hearts with friends. More than my phone calls with old co-workers. More than my girlfriend -- in tears -- not wanting me to give up my current salary. So, I've got to wonder if the company knew and they put together a faux video just to get me to realize I like it where I am. While probably not the case, that's totally the kind of thing I'd do if one of my employees was thinking of leaving. Well, either that or kidnapping their cat.
So, I'm still here, still doing what I do, and now, I'm going to be featured in some sweet intra-office propaganda. Go team.
