My Mentor
I received a Facebook post that said, and I’m paraphrasing, that only a few people “get me” but the rest of my coworkers either think I’m angry, sarcastic or just an a-hole.
I was with a couple of coworkers I like when I got the message and they both laughed.
“That’s you.”
And it is kinda’ surprising, but I can feel that vibe from some of my coworkers.
They’re actually afraid to ask me something. They do see me as short-tempered or unapproachable.
Which is the opposite of how I am.
I just don’t have time for stupid questions and I’m focused on doing things right. My goal in life is to live the same day every day.
But it brought me back to one of the best bosses I ever had.
He was sarcastic, angry and could be a bit of an a-hole.
I loved working with him.
He was the boss who, during the lift of a 40,000 pound piece of equipment was asked:
“Are you nervous?”
He answered:
“Stupid people get nervous.”
I laughed. He was just trying to say that he was prepared.
When my wife met him for the first time she said:
“He’s mean!”
Three visits later she proclaimed her undying admiration for him.
The thing is, I don’t talk a whole lot to people during the day about trivial stuff. I don’t ask about their problems and I don’t share mine.
And I’m sarcastic because I think it’s funny.
Thing is, without even trying, I adopted the personality of my mentor.
I ran into my old boss this year on a golf course.
Loud enough for everyone to hear he said:
“What are you doing at my course?”
He gave me the finger too.
Then when the two of us were walking to the putting green he said:
“You good? Kathy and the boys okay? You need anything let me know.”
At the end of the round, we crossed paths again. I reminded him of something he yelled out at a golf course 20 years before.
He had answered a phone call with 40 guys waiting to eat and hand out prizes after a tourney. When he came back into the room someone yelled out:
“Hey, was that your wife? Did she give you permission to stay out late?”
He never broke stride.
Loudly he said:
“That wasn’t my wife. It was hostess. They want to know how many donuts you think you’re going to eat this year so they can set their annual budget.”
39 people laughed loudly.
“What an a-hole!” The rotund guy called out.
My mentor!
I may have made it!
I was with a couple of coworkers I like when I got the message and they both laughed.
“That’s you.”
And it is kinda’ surprising, but I can feel that vibe from some of my coworkers.
They’re actually afraid to ask me something. They do see me as short-tempered or unapproachable.
Which is the opposite of how I am.
I just don’t have time for stupid questions and I’m focused on doing things right. My goal in life is to live the same day every day.
But it brought me back to one of the best bosses I ever had.
He was sarcastic, angry and could be a bit of an a-hole.
I loved working with him.
He was the boss who, during the lift of a 40,000 pound piece of equipment was asked:
“Are you nervous?”
He answered:
“Stupid people get nervous.”
I laughed. He was just trying to say that he was prepared.
When my wife met him for the first time she said:
“He’s mean!”
Three visits later she proclaimed her undying admiration for him.
The thing is, I don’t talk a whole lot to people during the day about trivial stuff. I don’t ask about their problems and I don’t share mine.
And I’m sarcastic because I think it’s funny.
Thing is, without even trying, I adopted the personality of my mentor.
I ran into my old boss this year on a golf course.
Loud enough for everyone to hear he said:
“What are you doing at my course?”
He gave me the finger too.
Then when the two of us were walking to the putting green he said:
“You good? Kathy and the boys okay? You need anything let me know.”
At the end of the round, we crossed paths again. I reminded him of something he yelled out at a golf course 20 years before.
He had answered a phone call with 40 guys waiting to eat and hand out prizes after a tourney. When he came back into the room someone yelled out:
“Hey, was that your wife? Did she give you permission to stay out late?”
He never broke stride.
Loudly he said:
“That wasn’t my wife. It was hostess. They want to know how many donuts you think you’re going to eat this year so they can set their annual budget.”
39 people laughed loudly.
“What an a-hole!” The rotund guy called out.
My mentor!
I may have made it!
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