Company Picnics

Who goes to company picnics? Employees with youngish kids that are looking for something different to do toward the end of a long boring summer. At least that's why I went.

The year was about 1991. That would have made K & K about 7 and 5 years old respectively. I had just started a new job with a company called Stryker in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I worked at their small corporate office at the time and had only been with the company a couple of months when the company picnic was announced. A day or two before the picnic was to be held I asked around the office if anyone was going or not. Out of the people I surveyed only a couple planned on attending but my boss told me that I should go because although not that many people from the office were going there were bound to be quite a few people there from the manufacturing facility which was located a short distance from the corporate office.

Being the outgoing person that I am, and looking for some way of entertaining the kids cheaply toward the end of a long boring summer, I was game.

So on the designated day K, K and I loaded ourselves up into the car looking forward to sunshine, yummy food, a few games and a little social interaction with my fellow workers and their kids. I followed the map and as we pulled into the park the kids excitedly pointed to the red and white striped tent which was peaking out above the trees. As usual, we were running a little late so when we entered the picnic there was no longer an official sign-up/registration/name tag thing going on so we just started making the rounds.

The kids gorged themselves and hotdogs, hamburgers, chips, baked beans, and different salads . . . you know, the usual company sponsored picnic fare. Then they partook of numerous activities and games; facepainting, races etc meanwhile I struck up friendly bantering with my fellow adult picnic goers, commenting on their adorable children and making small talk about the beautiful weather and fine event we were attending.

Finally, the day had worn on and it was time to wind down. K, K and I grabbed the last of the ice-cream treats that were being doled out and plopped ourselves down on a little plot of grass to enjoy our dessert.

There was a freindly family sitting next to us so I good naturedly inquired as to the the couples' affiliation with the company; which spouse worked there and in which department. It wasn't until the guy answered back and named the department he worked in which was something totally unfamiliar to me, that I glanced at his name tag and noticed that the company name on it was not Stryker at all, but some other outfit in the Kalamazoo area. At that point I glanced up and what to my wonderment and bewilderment did I behold, but a blue and white tent jutting up into the sky just beyond the next stand of trees. I guess that's where they must have been holding the Stryker picnic!!

Ha ha ha ha ha. I laughed myself all the way home. I couldn't believe we had gone to the wrong company picnic and had such a grand time. Think about it . . .. . wedding crashing, picnic crashing. In these hard times you might be able to get a lot of entertainment for free.