Last week at work was a mental whuppin’! In the truest sense of the word. All because of a misunderstanding to the power of four thousand.

You think you know your business. You try hard every day to do a good job. You meet and occasionally exceed expectations. Whoooo-hoo! Go you!

And then BAM!

Straight out of frickin’ nowhere comes a roundhouse kick to the head. People making your busyness their busyness.

You don’t WANT to think bad. You don’t WANT to have work drama. You ask questions, but get elusive or evasive answers. Or just bald face lying to your face. Painful.

Sometimes people are dumb and they underestimate how very much their words and body language give them away. And it pains me because I’m a really good reader. Sometimes I use that skill to my advantage. Most times I wish I didn’t know that they are lying to me. Or that they lie at all. To me, or to others.

Why can’t the world just be nicer? Why can’t we just all be real and frank and direct and good? Looking out for others. Expecting and celebrating their accomplishments no matter how great or small?

I’m still hurt from the drama. And the covering up. And the lying. And I have to make a big decision about it.

So I asked my boss for time to think and pray.

If I choose to let it go, I’m pretty certain it will happen again. Ok, damn certain. And I’m certain that my boss will move it on forward on their own.

If I don’t then I will most likely be the one to suffer the brunt because people are human and passive-aggressive retaliation may occur.

More than anything, I wish the truth would present itself and that the person responsible will put on her big girl panties and come forward. Because the one she has taking her place can’t afford another hit.

But I’m not their Momma. I can’t force the truth to surface. I can only pray for it.

And even if the truth surfaces, the trust factor has taken a huge blow to the head. It takes a while in my business to develop trust and it takes about a millisecond to destroy it.

So while I sit, coffee cup in hand, contemplating this decision, the dogs wrestle under my feet. I marvel at their banter. The way they play fair with the bigger dog on the ground, while the smaller one stands. The smaller dog is older and wiser, the bigger dog, well she has her size. Their play is balanced, like a dance. The give and take is sweet to watch. Neither one taking advantage of the other.

It’s times like this I wish I was a dog instead of a human. Because even if there is a misunderstanding…Dogs Don’t Lie.

Painfully honestly yours,

Nadine Bodine

Your VERY best friend in the whole entire world!