The wheel spun and we all just laughed

I was new to the team, so the company birthday party felt a bit like walking into a room where everyone already knew the secret handshake. Then someone wheeled out this big, colorful spinner in the middle of the conference room. It was covered in silly little challenges and games.

That first spin broke the ice

My manager, a usually serious guy in a suit, gave it a whirl. The arrow landed on something like ‘air guitar solo.’ He just shrugged, made a face, and pretended to shred for about ten seconds.The room went quiet for a split second, and then this wave of laughter just rolled through everyone. It wasn't mean laughter, it was the kind that comes from surprise. It was the sound of a wall coming down.

Suddenly, we were all playing

After that, people were volunteering to spin. The game wasn't about winning anything. It was just an excuse to be a little ridiculous in front of each other.Someone had to do a dramatic reading of a boring email. Another person had to describe their job using only animal sounds. Each spin created this tiny, shared story that we were all in on together.I remember watching the person from accounting, who I’d only ever emailed, trying to balance a spoon on her nose. We were all just rooting for her, you know? It stopped being about departments or titles.

The real point of the wheel

I think the wheel existed so we’d have something to look at besides our phones or our plates. It gave us permission to be silly, and to watch each other be silly, without it feeling forced.

What was left when the wheel stopped

Later, cleaning up the cake plates, the conversations were easier. We were talking about the air guitar performance, not the quarterly report. The room just felt lighter, like we’d all shared a secret joke that made the rest of the night easier.