Unincluded (it's a lot like Uninvited)

I work in a fairly small office. There is a grand total of 21 employees in this location. (We have a few people that work out-of-state but they aren't relevant to this story.) One of our departments is in a different section of our building leaving 16 people in my section of the building. Of these 16, there is a 'lunch clique' that consists of 6 people. Unfortunately for me, these six people are in offices that surround my office. That means I have to listen to them make their various lunch plans every day. Normally this does not bother me a great deal.

Because this is what they eat almost every day.

Sometimes it does.

See, these people have an unhealthy addiction to Thai food. Specifically the Thai restaurant across the street. However, the Thai restaurant across the street does not have an addiction to them. (Or making money, it seems.) While a majority of their conversations consist of whether or not they are ordering Thai and what they should do if the Thai restaurant randomly decides to not answer their phone that day, today is a different story.

Today they picked Chinese food.

I actually like Chinese food. Thai? Not so much. (Especially when they are all ordering the spiciest food they can get. I don't like spicy. I don't want to mistakenly eat burn-my-mouth-off food.) I used to be on the list of people they would invite into their lunch group. Apparently I said 'no thank you' too many times. (For the record, I have said yes more than I have said no.) I am no longer on the invite list.

Why does this bother me?

Because I am delicious!!!

Well, sometimes I would like to order Chinese food too. But I'm not the type of person that will barge into an office to be all "ME TOO!," assuming that I know what they are ordering before I overhear someone calling in the order. To be honest, Chinese food sounds an awful lot like Thai food until you get to the fried rice or white rice option.

I suppose I should get over myself and learn how to barge into people's office. It just seems so rude. And it's not like I never eat Chinese food. My daughter has finally learned that it is delicious so we order it about once a month. Occasionally, my husband even makes some on his own. Really, this whole thing about me feeling left out. I am the only one in my hallway that is not in the clique. I feel like the geeky science nerd in the middle of the cheerleading squad and I don't even like science!

I just want to belong.