Thanks a bunch (of asparagus)!

My favorite soup, my favorite soup? The thought frantically bounced around in my head as one by one, everyone down the line listed off their favorites. It’s just soup for goodness sakes, this shouldn’t be so difficult. Oh wait, did that person just list a specialty soup? Should I list a specialty soup? What’s a specialty soup from Georgia? God, what type of company uses their favorite soup as an ice breaker question?

I began fidgeting with my hands as the question got closer and closer to me.

Okay, breathe. It doesn’t matter what type of soup you like. You are not defined by what you like. Oh wait, I think you are.

“Tomato soup.”

Dang it, that was my safety soup. Are there any other vegetables that serve as a soup? Cauliflower, zucchini…?

“Michelle? Michelle, it’s your turn.”

“Huh, what? Oh, I like asparagus.”

Silence. Stares, lots of them. Why did I say asparagus? I could have sang Animal Crackers like Shirley Tempe and it would have been less awkward.

“That’s pretty cool,” I heard a voice from the other side of the room call.

People began shrugging their shoulders and nodding their heads in agreement and before you knew it we were back to listing of different Campbell Soup.

I turned my head to the voice that had essentially saved my drowning social life (not to be dramatic or anything) and smiled. She smiled back. She had short blonde hair, definitely looked ready for the corporate life with her pencil skirt and heels that I would definitely trip in if I took one step.

Maybe making this move wasn’t going to be as difficult as I thought. I mean, I got by saying my favorite soup was asparagus on my first day of work. It’s only up from here.