Rule Breaker

For a good part of my life I haven’t intended to challenge those in authority over me, it seems to sneak up on me. I was in my late twenties (Bobbi was on my work radar by then), and employed at a popular Christian bookstore in the Columbus, OH, area (with two branches). It was my day off.

I was extremely unhappy about going into work (from 10-11am) for an hour long mandatory meeting (even though I was getting paid for it). I sat there like a big lump of coal as the few employees around me played a paper and pen game with the ultimate goal of helping us to get to know each other better. (I knew my co-workers as well as I wished to.)

The store manager (Bronson) asked me why I wasn’t playing. My angry reply came out something like this to my co-workers and a store manager in training, who didn’t know me then (but very quickly figured it out). “I didn’t want to come in here on my day off for this. I don’t want to play this game. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible.”

Though 99.9% of the individuals in that room felt as I did, they had chosen to be silent, and not verbalize it in such an angry animated fashion. I was immediately rushed out of the room to Bronson’s nearby office.

We had a rather fast, intimate conversation. He told me my job right then was to participate in the entirety of the meeting. (It had been assumed all present would gladly participate.) I was then told what just happened would be a lot like a Him coming into work, and not doing his job.

(Funny he’d should mention that. I knew that was exactly what he did from what I’d observed. There had been staff complaints about his lack of leadership.) I was then informed that we had four lengthy private interactions recently where he felt I had been disrespectful to him.

 (I give no special treatment for job titles. I respect everyone the same unless I’m provide with a reason not to. Did he realize that maybe he needed to hear my opinion?) I then informed him I did my customer service job very well. To end our conversation with a special note, I told him I knew this meeting was a waste of my time. (It was. The information given was repetitious and non-applicable.)

When I went back to work the next day, I told a long-time employee there (Melba) the above story. She has authority issues like me. I informed her I was afraid of getting fired. She assured me that if that was going to happen it would have occurred on-the-spot at the meeting.

Sometimes when one looks back at the shenanigans they’ve pulled throughout their existence, this question might come up. “What was I thinking?” I was lucky my store liked my work ethics. There were no repercussions.

There is some kind of consequence (good or bad) for everything one does in life.  The result can be either a physical or emotional with you. A generous deed may bring about what you’ve always dreamed of while an angry action may cause your worst nightmare to turn into reality. You must be your own judge and jury with all you say or do.

NOTE: This life story of mine has been altered for privacy and just because I could for the fun of it.