Griniaris.com

So, there’s this interim operations employee named Caveman. He’s only been working at the office for a week, filling in for someone who’s on leave. Caveman’s doing pretty well—he’s got a great work ethic, he’s polite, but there’s one small issue: he’s obsessed with gum.

Caveman always has a pack of gum on him. In fact, he’s got a special, personal stash in his desk drawer. He’s constantly popping a piece, chewing away like it’s his life force. Everyone in the office knows he’s the go-to guy for gum, but for some reason, Caveman has made it crystal clear that he does not share.

One day, during the mid-afternoon slump, Bik walks over to Cavemans’s desk, clearly struggling to stay awake. He’s been looking for something to freshen her breath after a coffee binge.He sees the gum pack sitting there, just within reach, and figures, “Why not ask? He’s the gum guy, right?”

So he says, “Hey Caveman, could I grab a piece of gum? I’m in desperate need of a pick-me-up.”

Caveman looks up, eyes narrowed like she just asked for the secret recipe to Coca-Cola. He hesitates for a second, then replies, “Uh… I don’t know, I’m kinda in the middle of a meeting prep. Maybe later?”

He walks away, and Caveman watches him leave, all while popping another piece into his mouth, like he’s about to enter the Gum Olympics or something. But here’s the kicker: Bik’s not one to give up easily. So, he goes to the vending machine, buys his own pack of gum, and comes back to his desk.

The next day, Caveman sees him chewing a piece of gum, and that’s when it happens—he gets this look on his face like he’s been betrayed. He pauses, then walks up to his desk and says, “Hey, uh, did you, uh, buy gum?”

Bik, with a sly grin, looks up and says, “Yup, figured I’d get my own since, you know… you were so busy ‘prepping’ yesterday.”

And from then on, Caveman became the office legend—the gum guy who wouldn’t share. He didn’t get asked for gum again for the rest of his interim stint.

Moral of the story: When you’re the interim worker, don’t make your personal stash of gum your only legacy.