Coll Storm

Tell me what you think of this situation...

My boss is also a friend of mine, but sometimes the boundaries between the two have been skewed over the past eight months or so.

I don't know when to take things personally, professionally, or somewhere between the two.

A few weeks ago I was hit with the news of my rapid hair loss. Instead of hearing words of support from her, she took out a particuliarly bad picture of myself, and made fun of it in front of my co-workers. She then told them that I owed money on a bill, and how much I owed on it. I asked her to stop several times, but she didn't do so. She kept going with it. This was after a day where I had a doctors meeting, and then walked a mile to my work place, just to make a meeting that took place afterwork, and that I wasn't paid for.

Being a nice guy... I picked up my belongings, and walked out of the meeting mortified beyond belief. It felt like childhood all over again, but when the bully picked on me... I punched them in the face.

I've also volunteered my time through the past year on countless nights/weekends to do things for work. Through out this year... there have been incidents like the one above, where I have been the butt of the jokes.

Tonight, against my better judgement I went on a wrestling fieldtrip with my work, and her. During our way back, I was asked to call parents to let them know, that we would be arriving soon, and that they should be ready to pick them up.

During one conversation I asked "Hi, is so and so home?" I then said "Hi, so and so... just wanted to let you know that we'll be there at 10pm." I then hung up the cell phone. My boss then decided to remind me that I'm not friends with the parents, and that I should start the conversation with "Hello is so and so there?". I didn't see a major difference between saying "hello" and "hi".

She then gets on the phone to call the next parent, and says, "Hi! so and so... yes we're almost there! See you then! Ok.. bye bye."

I was not amused....

I then noticed that we were getting close to our destination, and that some of the children were sleeping, so I decided to nudge them. She then rips into me, and tells me that I should let them sleep.

That was it... the straw finally broke.

Me: Shut Up!

Her: Excuse me????

Me: S-H-U-T U-P!!!

She did so...

We got there, and she got out of the van. She told me "that if I ever told her to shut up in front of the children again, that I would be fired."

I told her, "that's interesting, since this happened when I volunteered my time."

She said, "you're still on the job."

I said, "Make note of this.... I'm done volunteering"

She then asked for my hand, and I gave it to her. She then told me, "that our friendship is through" and "that she wanted to talk to me inside, right now."

I told her, "Being that all the children have gone home, and I'm not on the job right now, and that we're no longer friends... I'm going home for the night. Have a great weekend!"

I get home, and she sends me an email, telling me she doesn't understand why I blew up at her, that we're going to have a meeting on Monday with the boss, because she doesn't feel safe with me alone. She tells me that I'm always angry at her, and that I need help.

I then emailed her back...

I love how you confuse standing up for yourself, with being angry. If I was angry at you, it would be because of one situation.

I then told her, that during our visit to the library, I told her that I was going to use the restroom. When I came back... my Kindergartners were alone, because she had left.

That's the end of my story. I might not have a job on Monday, but I feel great that I said something, instead of holding it in. Starting right now.... I'm no longer the "nice guy that finished last"!!!