Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Etiquette for the Generously Proportioned

bagatelle · 03-06-2011, 10:50 AM

I experienced an awkward moment like this myself.

I returned to my old job last summer after 5+ years. Meanwhile a 10 year older co-worker had changed a lot from the last time, I saw him: almost grey hair compared to the old, gained weight. I learned he had been also quite stressed recently, but I didn't know that he had also had knee problems, that made it painful and slow to move.

He is not very tall, shorter than me, and slightly overweight already earlier, but he was still relatively agile in his movements and the weight didn't seem to bother him then. He had actually later lost weight, remarried - but then life had turned more stressful and affected his health.

One of the first days for me being back to work, we both left our workstations at the same time. I started talking to him while walking beside him, but it was apparent very soon, he was walking real slow, because he could not make it any faster. I tend to take brisk steps, was heading to the stairs to go down, while he was just trying to make it to the elevator.

He replied to my chatting, but in a while he sort of said to me "you don't have to wait for me..." - it was embarrassing for him, that he had become slow, while his nice opinion of me was, that I hadn't changed a bit, while I was gone. I have, but his condition had made the gap wider agewise as he's the charmer type, who always has a suggestive wink in the eye for women around him, in a nice way, but now I sensed a hurtful dent in his self-image.

I did carry on my own pace, because he was not comfortable of us walking together.

03-06-2011, 10:50 AM	#12 (permalink)
bagatelle Psycho Location: Europe	I experienced an awkward moment like this myself. I returned to my old job last summer after 5+ years. Meanwhile a 10 year older co-worker had changed a lot from the last time, I saw him: almost grey hair compared to the old, gained weight. I learned he had been also quite stressed recently, but I didn't know that he had also had knee problems, that made it painful and slow to move. He is not very tall, shorter than me, and slightly overweight already earlier, but he was still relatively agile in his movements and the weight didn't seem to bother him then. He had actually later lost weight, remarried - but then life had turned more stressful and affected his health. One of the first days for me being back to work, we both left our workstations at the same time. I started talking to him while walking beside him, but it was apparent very soon, he was walking real slow, because he could not make it any faster. I tend to take brisk steps, was heading to the stairs to go down, while he was just trying to make it to the elevator. He replied to my chatting, but in a while he sort of said to me "you don't have to wait for me..." - it was embarrassing for him, that he had become slow, while his nice opinion of me was, that I hadn't changed a bit, while I was gone. I have, but his condition had made the gap wider agewise as he's the charmer type, who always has a suggestive wink in the eye for women around him, in a nice way, but now I sensed a hurtful dent in his self-image. I did carry on my own pace, because he was not comfortable of us walking together. __________________ Life is...