The Wheel We Spun at the Party

It was that time of year again, the office party where you're never quite sure how to mingle. I'd brought this silly wheel app on my phone, just in case things got too quiet. I figured it was better than standing around with a drink, trying to think of something to say.

The moment I pulled out my phone

Honestly, I was a bit nervous they'd think it was lame. But the second I held it up and asked who wanted a spin, a few people actually leaned in. It was that kind of relief you feel when you realize everyone else is just as ready for a bit of direction.We gathered around the little screen, and I let Sarah from accounting have the first go. The wheel spun with that digital whirring sound, and for a second, we were all just watching it, waiting to see where it would land.

What happened after the spin

It landed on 'Two Truths and a Lie'. Sarah's face just lit up, and she immediately launched into her stories. The whole dynamic shifted from polite small talk to people actually trying to guess, laughing when they got it wrong.Later, when Mark spun 'Charades', he groaned dramatically, but then he threw himself into it. He was miming some movie I still can't guess, and we were all shouting out ridiculous answers. It wasn't about the game itself, really. It was that the wheel gave us permission to be a bit silly together.I remember looking around and seeing people who usually just nod at each other by the coffee machine, now actually talking and laughing. The awkwardness just sort of dissolved into the background.

It wasn't about winning

Nobody kept score. The point was just the shared moment the wheel created, a little pocket of unexpected fun in a predictable evening.