Well, THAT explains it!


It’s August the First, in the year Two Thousand and Twelve.

I’ve had a horrible, nagging feeling with me all day. It became stronger this afternoon, but has been there all day long, lurking in the back of my mind – but far away from all of the shadows and cobwebs that also lurk in there.

The day started with a person bellowing ‘Good Morning!’ to me across the office. Friendly, you may think. And usually, it is… but not when it’s an arch enemy, an office manager to boot, whose soul purpose in life is to belittle those around her to make her seem better. Snarl.

I gave her the benefit of the doubt this morning. I bellowed ‘Morning’ back at her, and walked into my office pretending that she was a leopard and had changed her spots. I glanced over to her before I entered my office and saw a huge grin across her face, which is better than the last time she bellowed good morning as she was facing the other way that time.

I settled down to work, and worked very hard, as usual. I don’t exactly know what it is that I do, but I ensure that I work hard at it anyway. My manager tells me that he couldn’t do my job as he thinks it’s boring, but adds that I’m very good at it. I’m hoping that he is looking at the end product, and not the boring or not knowing aspects of it. I can pretend that, anyway!

Anyway, this afternoon, I had to approach the Leopard to ask if she was happy with something. She made me wait whilst she was finishing a conversation, without acknowledging the fact that I had walked up to her desk. She then looked at me without saying a word. So, I uncomfortably explained to her why I had the audacity to get within clawing distance of her.

She’d raised a problem report months ago that needed looking at, and, as some time had passed from when the report was raised, the problem had seemingly cleared itself. I was asking if she had noticed any further instances of the problem lately, and if she was happy if the problem report could be closed.

“I don’t do that”. She said, stony faced, and then looked at me in stony silence. One of her team eventually helped me from out of my squirming by offering some kind of response. Eventually, we established that the problem report could be closed.

The Leopard is one of many people who I have to work with like that. I don’t know why I actually continue working there, but with the current climate any job is better than none, right, even if it means putting up with some of the more awful people in the world. I mean I actually started working in this place because I wanted to help people, but lately I’m starting to think the people I work with are actually beyond help. Lately, as in this afternoon.

It then struck me.

It’s August 1st 2012.

The month of the Blue Moon.

A Full Moon at the beginning of the month, and another one at the end.

We say that rare occurrences happen once in a Blue Moon, because of the fact that it’s rare to have two Full Moons in a month. But what about the other meaning of ‘Blue’. The feeling blue… the feeling down?

I was feeling down today. I was feeling buried under what I had to do, who I had to work with, how I perceived how ‘they’ were treating me.

I don’t treat anyone with disrespect, so in that regard, I’m already better than the Leopard and others like her at work. I may do a ‘boring’ job, but I do it well, so that, already, lifts me up.

I need to build up my protective barrier against the negative aspects of the Leopard (and others) who try to take what they can of me because I’m feeling down. Glares, silences and threatening ‘Good Mornings’ are uncomfortable, but they aren’t going to hurt me. I may just start laughing them off, lightening my mood if not darkening their’s at the same time. They may work in a position of power, but that is all the power they have.

The Moon most definitely affects our moods and feelings. I’m normally in a high, good feeling mood, and I know that I’ll be there again very soon… I just have to tell myself that it’s OK to feel down every now and then… every once in a Blue Moon… but remember to use the lower feeling to enhance the benefits of the higher good feeling of feeling good.

Which I do most of the time.

There’s nowt as queer as folk… and I know some real peculiar ones! Caricatures really. Only not as funny…

17 responses to “Well, THAT explains it!”

  1. Alannah Murphy avatar

    Wow Tom! So, is that the reason I was incredibly blue yesterday, and continued onto today? I also deal with people like that leopard, and like you, I will follow your own great advice, and not let some things, get to me.

    Like

    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      I’m not exactly an expert, Alannah, but I believe so! The Moon will have an affect on our emotions just as she does with the tides… hope your mood has lightened considerably today!

      Like

    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      I don’t think anyone has noticed… 😉

      Like

      1. Alannah Murphy avatar

        Only pedantic me did. Hope you’re right about the moon. I am feeling much better today, and hope you are as well.

        Like

        1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

          Not at all pedantic, Alannah!
          And yes, I’ve been feeling much better as well! 😀

          Like

  2. prenin avatar

    If you do not own it, then it is not yours! 🙂

    Leopards don’t change their spots and they do say sh1t rises to the top… 🙂

    Hope you get through this crap Tom – you deserve better… 🙂

    God Bless!

    Prenin.

    Like

    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Thanks, Prenin. I’m considering taking things further, but I’m weighing up whether I can be bothered going into work to have a full-fledged battle, compared to tolerating her nastiness. I’ll see what happens…

      Like

  3. lameadventures avatar

    I’m very lucky to work with people I like very much. On the downside, due to this rancid economy, the owners cut wages 20% in January 2009 and my pay has been frozen at that reduced rate for more than 3 1/2 years. Prior to working at this small business, I worked at a giant corporation. Theoretically the pay was better, but I often had to work six and seven-day weeks, sometimes the graveyard shift, most holidays, numerous weekends, and oh yeah, I had the problem you have now, I loathed my miserable cur of a manager. Many of my colleagues were quite awful, too. Until my pay was reduced at where I am now, I thought I had found a happy medium. Such a drag it’s turned out to be temporary. I hope the moon works in your favor soon.

    Like

    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Thanks, LA, and I hope your situation improves to your liking soon too. We’re all in this world together and if we keep positive we’ll see off all of that negativity. And miserable curs of managers (I love that phrase!) 😀

      Like

  4. europasicewolf avatar
    europasicewolf

    Don’t worry most female managers are like that. I think most of them have deep seated inferiority complexes they won’t admit to. And you can’t flirt outrageously with them in order to get around them like you can a male manager! One learns as alpha female of the Europa Pack that good leadership and respect are not earned by bullying and intimidating the Pack into submission; it will likely as not turn on you!!

    Like

    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Thanks, Icewolf. I’ve worked for loads of female managers, and the majority of them have been absolutely fine. Some were funny (in an off-hand, obtuse way), but this is the vilest one I’ve ever come across. She hasn’t won my respect, as you can probably tell, but I’m hoping that she continues her awful tirade toward me so I can build up evidence to use against her (unbeknownst to her, of course!) I can also use some of her characteristics for a nasty villain in a story I’ll start on… although even dampened down her characteristics would be unbelievable!

      Like

  5. Tilly Bud - The Laughing Housewife avatar

    I hope this mood doesn’t last. I’ve never read a post so downbeat from you, Tom. I’m not complaining; I want you to feel better.

    There are a lot of unpleasant and therefore probably unhappy people out there; we all have to deal with them, wherever we work. Keep doing your best and being yourself and you might rub off on them. 🙂

    Like

    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Thanks, Tilly. I’m feeling better now.
      Occasionally I do write a post about being in the duldrums, I try to avoid them, but sometimes I just need to write what I think I’m feeling. Maybe writing about those times on the blog is not the best of ideas – I’d much sooner write about the feel good silly stuff – this blog is supposed to be a place of escape after all… but sometimes the bad times make the good times even better. I think there’s some logic in there somewhere, just don’t ask me right now where it is!
      Anyway – here’s to the more fun stuff! I won’t stay down for long!!! 😀
      Hope you’re having a great weekend! 🙂

      Like

      1. Tilly Bud - The Laughing Housewife avatar

        We all need to vent occasionally and a blog is the perfect place to do it – your space, you get to choose what goes in it. Glad you’re feeling better 🙂

        Like

  6. shreejacob avatar

    Loved the blog and completely agreed…we can feel down once in a while. As some one that was wise once said, only when we experience sadness can we then appreciate joy etc, etc, etc.

    You know..when you *are* feeling down maybe encasing yourself in an egg might help. Not an actual egg of course…that might get messy and you’d have to drink that potion Alice in Wonderland did, I meant visualise that you open a door and are stepping into this really cool egg like structure and shut the door behind you. This is like a super power egg…all negativity directed to you gets bouinced back! HA!

    I haven’t tried the egg much but I do call upon the Violent Flame to surround me and the blue light of Archangel Micheal as well.

    Like

    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Hi Shree… and thanks! I’ll remember the egg and violet flame for next time I need it, which, hopefully, won’t be in the near future! 😀

      Like

Leave a reply to Tilly Bud – The Laughing Housewife Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.