Several coworkers and I were invited to present to approximately 150 people. We arrived at the venue to find a ‘reserved’ table for presenters. Being that several of my coworkers had already been sitting at the table, but had stepped out into the lobby for a bit, I knew the seats at the table were limited.
I decided to go ahead and make my way to the table and so did a coworker. As we approached, and just before we each took a seat, one of our seated coworkers whispered, “How was your trip?” It was at this moment that I attempted to sit in one of the vacant chairs. Unfortunately, this was the same chair my coworker, who had walked in directly behind me, opted to choose. As a result, she literally pulled the chair out from underneath me. Subsequently, I landed on the floor, legs tangled up and, luckily, with my coffee still in the cup (mostly). “My trip wasn’t so hot,” I replied to my other coworker while trying to gain my composure and stand. “You fall very gracefully,” he said.
I stood up and assumed the coworker who pulled the chair out would realize I intended to sit on that specific chair so I, again, attempted to sit down. This time, instead of landing on the ground, I landed on my coworker’s lap. “I think I’ll find somewhere else to sit,” was her only response. There’s really nothing like a grand entrance.