Arriving at the workshop

My daily commute to work was stressful back then. Normally, it was about an hour, to an hour and a half, of bumper-to-bumper traffic, accidents, aggressive drivers – you name it. However, the morning of the big seminar, I found myself pulling into my parking spot without any recollection of how I got there. Obviously, my mind had been preoccupied with other things.

I hated the obsessive thoughts that seemed to have a knack for just barging in and taking over, yet I was completely helpless to stop them.

Upon entering the building, I remember having this overwhelming urge to run. I didn’t care where, as long as I removed myself from the situation at hand. It took every last ounce of determination not to listen to my natural instincts.

Stepping into the elevator, I realized that I had about 20 seconds to make a decision: Run away, or stay and take my lumps. The door closed and I was committed. As soon as anyone saw me, the jig was up because I could no longer leave.

The elevator door opened on the 5th floor and I was greeted by the sound of at least 50 or more people. It was quite loud and abrupt compared to the silence of the elevator. It was almost 8:00am, and I could smell food being served. At least I made it to breakfast on time. Somehow, that was of little consolation as I walked through the crowd. The whole experience was like a dream. I was so nervous that I felt weak.

I walked past the food area as I tried to drown out the sales crowd. They were very loud and boisterous – not what I needed at the moment. Their laughter and conversation made me feel very intimidated. I also felt as though I were being watched somehow. I decided not to line up for breakfast. My stomach was in knots.

Upon entering the classroom, I noticed that the volume level subsided. The serenity of the room would have been pleasurable under any other circumstances.

It was a large room with sectional desks and about 30 chairs arranged in a circle. Each seat had a name-tag taped to the desk, facing the instructor. At the front of the room there was the instructor’s desk, and along the far wall there was a projector and screen. To the left of the instructor’s desk there was a flipchart.

It looked like they were ready to go, because on the projection screen, there was a message that read: “Welcome to customer satisfaction training.”

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