The Parks and Recreation gang are quite the bunch. They're obsessed with waffles, an iconic tiny horse, and treating yo' self. They're hard workers, meat lovers, and running enthusiasts. They remind us of why we love our coworkers and what we do, and why other days everything can just be the worst. (I mean, we all wish we could just clock in some sick time for flu season in advance.) But aside from all that, there are moments from Parks and Rec that are just hardcode relatable. They keep us watching and laughing episode after episode.
Our coworkers are there for the best and the worst. They're there when the deadlines are really getting to us, and at happy hour clinking a wine glass against ours. They spend most of our days with us, so they know all of our secrets outside of work. When we're really close with them, they may have a few inside jokes to share. What ever did happen to that missing projector? Who knows, but it'll end up on a trivia question at the next holiday party, so someone better figure it out soon.
You can always count on your coworkers for the best laughs and to low-key become some of your best friends. Work has a way of bringing together people that otherwise would've maybe never crossed paths. Look at Ron and Leslie, or Tom and Jerry. OK, bad example. People are probably avoiding Jerry's path (Terry, Larry, Gary) at all costs, but you get the picture. Here are seven Parks and Rec moments that, as coworkers, we can all relate to.
If Mondays were a scene in Parks, it would be this one. Oh wow, some days at the office are tough. It'll seem like every single obstacle has been placed in your way. You'll be running towards those 5 p.m. deadlines with messy hair, tired eyes, and a slightly delusional, over-caffeinated mind.
On the days you just keep slipping up, the Parks gang reminds us that our coworkers are there to lift us up — maybe sometimes quite literally. They're a built-in support system for when we just can't seem to get on our feet.
Leave it to the Parks gang if you want to have a legendary brainstorm sesh. If thinking out of the box is the goal, then Leslie and the crew went way beyond. From wild camping trips, to Shark Tank-style spit-balling with Pawnee's "best and brightest," and water fights in the courtyard, the conference room was rarely a location for the most lucrative ideas.
Coworkers can agree that sometimes our brains work best when we're not bogged down by fluorescent lighting and bureaucracy. It doesn't hurt to have pizza in your presence, either.
The office can be a big place, and if you have a lot of coworkers it can be hard to filter out the ones you just don't care to make conversation at the water cooler with.
Ron is all of us when we're in the "no new friends" mode. You have your department and teammates, and you just don't have time in between meetings and lunch for any new workplace acquaintances. If you had to choose between a bag of chips and befriending Jerry at noon, I think it's safe to say the wavy Ruffles take the cake.
So sorry, but what's your name again?
In the words of Tom Haverford: "Sometimes you gotta work a little, so you can ball a lot."
So, we work hard with our coworkers during the day, and sometimes get a little rowdy with them at night. Holiday parties and happy hours are particularly infamous for creating drunk alter egos for all of your favorite coworker friends.
After a long day, everyone needs to blow off a little steam. Just maybe avoid the Snakejuice if you want to make it to that meeting in the morning.
Waffles, friends, and work — those are the most important things in life according to our most hardworking coworker, Leslie. Sometimes when our schedules get particularly crazy, or stress starts to set in, we have to remind ourselves of our priorities. If we're lucky, we've somehow made our passion our paycheck, and love getting up every morning to do what we do. Imagine if you were a ridiculous pizza fan (like most of us are), and got paid to eat a cheese pie every day? Sign me up.
But even when we're doing something we love, we'll have our bad days. On those days, it's important to remember that there are other things worth living for in this life -- like waffles.
When vacation comes around, we all want to throw our computers, phones, and the like in the dumpster. Work has a tendency to follow us, wherever we may go. Even when we're clocked out for the day, it can be hard to disconnect from our email accounts, group chats, social feeds, and schedules.
Getting off the grid can be so important for your well-being. We don't all have to take Ron's approach and attempt to escape to the mountains, but my goodness would it feel good to leave the laptop behind.
At the end of the day, we all just want to be proud of our work, even if it is seemingly nothing. Everyone in the Parks gang has at one point done something they're proud of: Leslie with Harvest Festival, April with the pet adoption, and Ben with the Cones of Dunshire.
We love seeing our coworkers do something awesome. Not every assignment may be a passion project, but if you learned something, it was worth it just the same.
