The Middleman | ongoing

42 | isn't the dad bod in

42 | isn't the dad bod in

Song: Don't Want You by Ella Mai

Depicted Above: Diego Barrueco as Quinn Carter

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"Those who are at the end of each row, please take one sheet of paper, rip off one piece of tape, and then pass the rest of the materials down to your neighbors," Mr. Buttons instructs us as we delve into the first team bonding activity of today.

Quinn, who's at the end of our row, does just that. And I silently grab the roll of tape from him, ruthlessly tearing off a piece, sending him subliminal messages through my body language to not fuck with me anymore today.

Even then, I still expect him to. It's just what we do apparently. We both instigate and push each other to limit, and as such, I know I have to really watch my back where Quinn's concerned.

I hand off the Scotch tape to the person sitting directly to the right of me. I also give the stack of blank papers that Mr. Button had just handed out. By the way the chairs and tables are designed though, I have to stretch my seat all the way to the right.

"The activity I'm about to teach you is relatively simple—not rocket science or anything super groundbreaking. You've probably played numerous variations of it," Mr. Button clears the silence that's settled in the room as the materials are still being handed out for the team bonding activity we're about to play. "It's not the most complex to learn, and that's why it's a great starter for any team bonding lessons in the office. I refer to the activity as Who Am I except it has my own little twist to it. Before I begin explaining, does everyone have a piece of paper and a strip of tape?" Mr. Button inquires. "Raise your hand if you still don't have both items."

Twisting my head, I observe no raised hands are visible. Just as it would be. 

Our workshop class is a pretty efficient group of people. It makes sense. These folks don't mess around. Some people, like Jamille and Eunise, are here to learn different skills to benefit their startups and small businesses. Other people in this room are high level executives. Many you can identify just from their mannerisms and top tier clothing.

"Let me begin explaining then. As I've said, it's quite easy to understand. Each of you has a sheet of paper. On it, I want you to write down a noun. It can be anything. A type of car, your favorite ice cream flavor, Beyoncé... Really anything. That's what makes this game a challenge. In this activity, victory is a hard earned effort."

I stare down at the pen and paper on my table, and the piece of tape stuck on the very edge of it, beginning to brainstorm.

"Whatever you do write down, though, make sure to hide it from the person sitting right next to you. This is because you both will be switching papers and attaching them to each other's backs, using the piece of tape you have, of course. Essentially, you will not know what word, or noun, is on your back," Button explains.

Most people nod their heads in understanding. It's simple enough as he had reassured us.

"Then, you'll walk up to partner with someone in this workshop other than who you initially switched papers with," Mr. Button clarifies. "You and your partner each will show your backs to each other when the timer I will have set begins to count down. The timer will be for only three minutes. At once, each of you in your pairings will try to help the other figure out who or what the other is based on what's taped on your back. If you are the one guessing who you are, you can only ask your partner yes or no questions to figure out what's on your back. It's like twenty questions... except there's no limit on the number of questions you can ask. Your partner can only answer your questions with yes or no. There will be no explicit telling. No cheating," Mr. Button emphasizes. "I'll be coming around to answer questions and observe but won't be monitoring the game all that closely as I trust you adults will have some sense of integrity," he warns.