Internal Breakrooms

"You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
Your wanna go where everybody knows
your name."
- "Cheers" theme song

At one point in my travels upon this earth, I found myself working as a tour guide for a major theme park attraction. My numerous coworkers (or 'cast members' as we were called) and I all shared a breakroom that was not much larger than your standard sized bedroom found in most American homes. It had a sofa, a few tables, an attached bathroom, a vending machine, and not much else. However, what it lacked in fancy amenities, it more than made up for as a unique environment in which to connect human souls together.

On a typical busy day, the breakroom held so many cast members that it resembled a one room family residence in a third world country. These employees were of all ages, and all walks of life. Regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs, they found themselves bound together by the job, and the close quarters of the small refuge. You would think this melting pot of so many different personalities would be an HR nightmare, but you know what? It never was. Ever.

The breakroom was the Switzerland of our work place. Completely neutral. Conversations consisting of all different topics were always welcome, open, and honest. Sometimes brutally honest. There were no taboo subjects within those walls, and even though it has been many years since I've been a part of that environment, I still remember many of those conversations, some of which would no doubt turn your hair gray, and others still I cannot repeat even unto this day.

Our breakroom was a haven in a world overrun by political correctness, a last resort of sorts where your soul could be laid bare in the company of others. We got a real sense of who each other was, and what we were really about. There were many heated discussions, to be sure, but there were also just as many deeply personal discussions that occured as well. Friendships were forged and lost within that space, but never once did anyone lodge a human resources complaint that they were offended by something they overheard. The unwritten rule was that if you were offended (and ALL of us were at some point), you simply got up and left.

That's it.

Sooner or later the conversation would shift to another topic, and the offended person could return and reengage with the group. It was tough to stay away from such honesty. No matter how upset or angry you were, you always came back. Why? We were afraid to miss anything! These were life's best moments, unfolding right before our eyes and ears. We sure as hell weren't going to miss any of this highlight reel.

Even to this very day, as now 'former' cast members, we're still afraid to miss anything. We gather together once a year to celebrate our time at that job, and the time spent within those walls. Even though some of us haven't seen each other in years, within ten minutes of reuniting we find ourselves back inside the breakroom, where no subject is off limits, and no walls are necessary to shield our souls.

Since the days of that external breakroom have long since passed, I've maintained a sort of internal breakroom that keeps me centered as I move through this 'Verse. It's a place within myself where I can tackle any part of my soul with the same openness and brutal honesty that I found in the company of those coworkers. It's a place of self definition, of healing, of laughter, and of solace. Sometimes a quick trip to the internal breakroom is all I need to rebalance myself when the world tips a little too far in one direction.

Find your own internal breakroom. We all have one tucked away somewhere inside, a judgment free zone, and we need that special place where we can step away from the chaos every now and then and take comfort in the nakedness of our soul.

A place where we know our own name.