Well, the desk chair anyway. I had a lunch meeting with someone today. I’ve worked with him once or twice over the past three years, not very often. They were serving broodje haring in the cafeteria today, herring sandwiches with onions and he couldn’t resist the temptation. In the middle of our discussion, out of nowhere, he said to me “Don’t you have a child? A daughter?” Trapped… what the hell do you do with that?? Be truthful. I said “Not quite, I had a son”.

He stumbled over the word “had”. I tried to go on, back to our discussion. And he stopped me and told me that he couldn’t follow along, because he was still stuck on the word “had”.  I wanted to grab my tray and run. But that wasn’t really the most effective way of handling the topic and it wouldn’t change the reality. I stayed put and answered his questions as openly as I could.

I don’t know how this will impact us working together in the future. Perhaps it will enable us to do some pretty amazing things. I give him major credit for wading into a deeply sensitive and personal subject. For asking the questions as well.

At the same time, I was relieved when our meeting was over and I could sequester myself at a long table with a wall to my back and throw myself into my work. At least I thought I could until someone sat down next to me, close to a near freakout. Since I left my old job, people think that I have some mysterious wisdom so they come to me for advice. In the back of my mind, as I am listening, I hope that I am going to say something useful. I believe today’s wisdom was telling this person that in my opinion, she was being served a big hot platter of bullshit and to simply decline to accept it. Pretty visual, isn’t it? 😉

As a mea culpa for my colorful language, I introduced her to someone who was walking by, a person who could possibly help her in her next career step. Good deed for the day accomplished 😉

It’s been 80 plus degrees the past few days so we are testing the maximums of our deodorant and the ability to keep cool, dogs included. We are okay.