This past Friday afternoon we had our monthly staff social/outing. Each month the event is in a different location; this time it was held in an upscale restaurant. The times, dates, and locations for the staff socials through May 2025 were decided back in August ‘24 and added on the work calendar then.

Why do I bring this up? I drove across town and arrived 15 minutes late to this last staff social (which is completely my fault and I take full accountability) to find multiple staff members had brought their significant others and children. However, the tables were pushed together so all of the adults were sitting at one side of the table and all the kids/toddlers were sitting at the other end. The adults were drinking margaritas and compressing about their work week stress while the children in high chairs were being fussy and screaming (remember the ambience was an upscale restaurant). The adults told me to sit down at the end of the tables next to the fussy children and laughed. Also, it is noted customers at other tables sitting in the restaurant were rudely staring at my work group.

So after driving across town, I was expected to be the lonely adult sitting at the f***ing kids table around screaming children unable to hear or engage with conversations among the adults. I also was the only guy in attendance besides the husband of the fussy children.

I was fuming for a multitude of reasons and made up an excuse and left. The work GroupMe text thread was going off this morning. The women were all doting on “how cute” the toddlers were and “how much fun it was” to relax, and “how it was so great to temporarily escape Motherhood” and - cherry on top - they were questioning why people in the restaurant were rudely staring at them. They were throwing around the idea of the other customers being racist (…?) or that maybe it was because the restaurant pushed two tables together and it’s ‘weird’ (as if that’s not normal everywhere…?). Not once did someone suggest it was the screaming, fussy toddlers on high chairs. The lack of self-awareness was astounding.

If you have made it this far thank you for reading. I don’t think I’ll be going to another staff event. I’m so disgusted I am having trouble synthesizing my thoughts. There is no point in vocalizing my thoughts to these people because I am the only person without kids and it will be a waste of my breath and energy if they even listen at all. SMH