Last Weekend,when I was about to leave my office for the Xmas Week End,my Boss summoned me and a colleague,Atee into his cabin just before 6’0 clock on the Friday evening.He not happy with the performance of either of us over the last week's sessions n told us so in no uncertain terms.When boss has a point,most of us readily agree,but neither I nor my colleague were given any time to put forward our point of view.I was hurt,embarrassed n angry.We both left our boss’s cabin at the same time n then we went our separate ways,at the end of what has been a particularity demanding week.As I walk through the front office down the stairs to my car,another colleague asks me how our meeting with the boss went.I launch into a tirade of abuse aimed mainly at my boss with comments such as “unfair” “who do he think he was” n “he was not exactly blameless either”.
When making my ways home in the car,I drove like a person possessed,as I continue to re-live the meeting with my boss; n my anger increased,as do my feelings of injustice.Beware any driver who gets in my way tonight!Although usually a courteous driver,that night was a completely different matter.My tolerance levels hovered around 0 n a few drivers received a few hands sign n mouthful of expletives.
My wife,while reading the newspaper asked the fateful question,“How was my day?”.Her apparent lack of concern for the injustices I believed I have suffered;only goes to add further fuel to my burning anger.Friday night is not a Good night. Who said TGIF? I was unable to concentrate on what I was watching on television(BTW Its was Bigg Boss N recalled Dolly n her Rants),the stomach for Friday dinner n time with my partner were completely off the night.I struggled to get sleep that night n woke up on Saturday morning with foul mood.My partner,perhaps insensitively tells me to forget the whole thing;her thoughtless remark meets with stony silence.
Then I get a Call on my mobile from my brother asking me to pick him from Airport as he was taking an early flight instead of the evening one.What a Day.After dropping my brother at his home,as I sit for my late breakfast,I get yet another call on my mobile from a Khan of Delhi Saying He is in Hyderabad to meet me. I was in no mood to be entertained, made an excuse n Settle for the Day at Home Sulking.The rest of the day does not go well,even with the Santa Spirit around.
The Next Day was Sunday.Shopping on Sunday is never great at the best of times as far as I am concerned n today seems ten times worse.First there’s the issue of car parking,then playing hunt the trolley inside the Spar,then it’s all those screaming kids,whose parents totally inept at controlling them.To cap it all,We only wanted a few items,so obediently took my place in the ten items or less queue, in the hope that at least I shouldn’t have to wait for too long.To my utter horror n disgust I notice,after a careful analysis,that the number of items in the trolley in front of mine does total a dozen and not ten.I am seething.why does this always happen to me?Life is so unfair…
I spend the rest of Sunday thinking about my imminent return to work on Monday and meeting my boss.Monday Blue comes n the FO executive asks if I had a great week end n I explain that it has been an awful weekend and my boss is entirely to blame.
When angry,count to ten,when very angry swear.Yep,Swear Real good…
If I go back for a moment to my colleague who was also in the meeting with my boss. As he left work,he was also asked how the meeting went.His response included phrases such as “he was just dumping his stress on to me” and "his bark is worse than bite” Friday night he initially spend talking to his friends about the late evening party for Xmas and how his boss would never get a job in the diplomatic services. However, after his initial discussion, the comment is made was “Anyway, I am not going to let some little Hitler ruin my weekend, what do I fancy – a bottle of wine red or white from Santa?” And so begins a much needed and welcomed weekend break for him. What a Break He had!
For many years We continually blame other people for how we feel. We all believe other people make us angry, sad or wound us up and We had no choice in the matter. It is not the meeting, but the meaning I gave to this meeting, that determined the outcome. Oh I used to remember those day when I came home after school, Ceaser, my dog used to come running to greet me salivating each time a bell rang because they associated the ringing of bell with being me to bring some cookies, as we choose our responses to most situations.
Oh, jingle bells,jingle bells, Jingle all the way,Oh, what fun it is to ride...Happy New year to All and Hope the Next Year Calms us all and Brings the Best Out of us.
