WAS I HARSH? WAS I CADDY? WAS IT NECESSARY?
Okay, so it's been brought to my attention by a few of you that my blog about the office flirt was harsh and caddy and "oh my gosh, Murray! Seriously! Who were you talking about!?!? And could you be more gossipy if you tried?"
I was hired by this man to do a job that, by all outward appearances, I was not qualified to do. That alone was enough to get the tongues wagging in my small town, but when you added it to the fact that the man in question was the reigning KING OF PIGS, well, let's just say I walked into a situation fraught with caddy gossip.
I was young, naive and always thought the best of everyone. I'm jaded, cynical, and question the motives of everyone around me now. It's amazing what ten years can do!
But being naive, I didn't realize that laughing at all his stupid jokes, doing all the tasks he asked me to do, and following directions to the letter would only add fuel to the gossip mongers' fire. Oh and then there were the times I had to meet behind closed doors to talk about sensitive employee issues. Yeah, that just kept the mouths running!
When it was all said and done (and when the man was fired for more ethical lines being blurred than you could shake a stick at), it was well known that I had slept with this man to get my job.
EXCEPT I HADN'T ... NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE POINT.
However, I'd allowed myself to get into situations that could be misconstrued ... pulled out of context ... blown WAAAAY out of proportion. I didn't mean to ... in fact, I was really innocent in the whole matter. But I learned a few things.
Lesson #1 ... be very careful how you conduct yourself around people you know only casually.
Lesson #2 ... professional integrity is everything.
Lesson #3 ... you may not care what other people think, and that is okay. But don't put yourself in situations that are going to cause you, or even worse, the other person to be hurt or compromised in anyway. Even if it's not your intention. Just think before you act.
Lesson #4 ... be very careful who you get comfy with.
I didn't say all of that in my post earlier today, because, honestly, I was letting off steam regarding an issue that I could see myself falling into ... it's easy to do. I know.
I'm always amazed when I step away from my usual drivel on random things in life to comment on something of value and substance -- people get miffed -- people get upset -- people don't like it. Yes, I had a very flippant tone with regard to the whole situation, but I didn't use any names and places or any dates. Yes, it was harsh, but sometimes, hearing seeing the truth is harsh, and this was as much about seeing the truth for me than anything. I can't help if it rings true for others ... but maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it means we all step away from the situation and take a good long look at ourselves ... just in case.
So, I'm stepping off of my soap box now and looking for more drivel. My readership doesn't like it when I talk about stuff that matters [insert smiley face and flippant tone here].
- Yes, it was harsh. It was pretty harsh hearing those things about this girl. It is harsh that in 2009 women's job performances are still tied to their sexuality. A sad truth ...
- Yes, it was caddy. Flirting with co-workers is caddy ... flirtatiousness in the work place can be caddy. Just being in the same room with another human being can be caddy in some people's minds. That is just the way some people are.
- Could I be more gossipy? Probably. Let's face it. Try as we might, we're all horribly, sinful creatures, and there isn't a one of us that is perfect, and at one point or another, we are all going to talk about someone else ... it's just that simple. Can we fight the urge? Oh yes we can! Can we avoid the situations that could cause us to fall into the gossip mill? Ummm yep!
I was hired by this man to do a job that, by all outward appearances, I was not qualified to do. That alone was enough to get the tongues wagging in my small town, but when you added it to the fact that the man in question was the reigning KING OF PIGS, well, let's just say I walked into a situation fraught with caddy gossip.
I was young, naive and always thought the best of everyone. I'm jaded, cynical, and question the motives of everyone around me now. It's amazing what ten years can do!
But being naive, I didn't realize that laughing at all his stupid jokes, doing all the tasks he asked me to do, and following directions to the letter would only add fuel to the gossip mongers' fire. Oh and then there were the times I had to meet behind closed doors to talk about sensitive employee issues. Yeah, that just kept the mouths running!
When it was all said and done (and when the man was fired for more ethical lines being blurred than you could shake a stick at), it was well known that I had slept with this man to get my job.
EXCEPT I HADN'T ... NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE POINT.
However, I'd allowed myself to get into situations that could be misconstrued ... pulled out of context ... blown WAAAAY out of proportion. I didn't mean to ... in fact, I was really innocent in the whole matter. But I learned a few things.
Lesson #1 ... be very careful how you conduct yourself around people you know only casually.
Lesson #2 ... professional integrity is everything.
Lesson #3 ... you may not care what other people think, and that is okay. But don't put yourself in situations that are going to cause you, or even worse, the other person to be hurt or compromised in anyway. Even if it's not your intention. Just think before you act.
Lesson #4 ... be very careful who you get comfy with.
I didn't say all of that in my post earlier today, because, honestly, I was letting off steam regarding an issue that I could see myself falling into ... it's easy to do. I know.
I'm always amazed when I step away from my usual drivel on random things in life to comment on something of value and substance -- people get miffed -- people get upset -- people don't like it. Yes, I had a very flippant tone with regard to the whole situation, but I didn't use any names and places or any dates. Yes, it was harsh, but sometimes, hearing seeing the truth is harsh, and this was as much about seeing the truth for me than anything. I can't help if it rings true for others ... but maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it means we all step away from the situation and take a good long look at ourselves ... just in case.
So, I'm stepping off of my soap box now and looking for more drivel. My readership doesn't like it when I talk about stuff that matters [insert smiley face and flippant tone here].
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NeeCee