Thursday, November 18, 2004
Evilness Abounds…
Evilness Abounds...I have mentioned a couple of things about my floor, the weird people, the strange occurrences (the vase & bowl of JoAnn's splitting in two for no apparent reason) but after hearing the following story I have decided that this floor is decidedly evil.
There is a woman who sits in my cube row. She's older, 55 or so, and is pretty harmless. Sometimes in conversations she gives too much information. You end up hearing things you don't really want to know about her, but it's nothing offensive. She's an outgoing person, load and spunky. All in all, she's not a bad person. I'm not always the best judge of character... but this lady doesn't seem to be the hurtful spiteful type. Also, she hasn't worked at this company her whole life. She's been here about a year, doesn't really like what she is doing, but tries to make the best of it regardless.
Yesterday she stopped by to "check in." She does this with me every now and then, to see how things are going and let me know that someone cares (I think she feels a little sorry for me since I don't have a lot of co-workers around.) A week or so ago she had stopped by to tell me about a new job she had just gotten. She was very excited to be making the change and I was happy for her. It sounded like something she really wanted to do, I am always happy for people who get what they really want in life. Good for them.
Anyway, her news this time around was not so happy. It seems that someone on our floor accused her of making racial slurs. The worst kind too. The slurs were "overheard" and not directly made at anyone. She was also told that the slurs were cooberated, meaning that two people had "overheard" them. She has been told that she cannot move to her new position for 90 days, that she is on probation and could lose her job, and she has been advised to seek legal council.
I've sat near this woman for 6 months now. Never have I heard a hateful word come out of her mouth. She gets irritated, as do we all, and sometimes bitches in general, but I have never heard racial slurs, or anything regarding race from her. I was totally floored when she told me this.
The hard part of it is, I am pretty sure I know who accused her. I know why that person would do such a thing and I just can't believe it. I don't think that person has any real clue what she has done. None at all. I think she thought it would be a good way to get back at the other woman for some petty slight. But the woman's working career could be over in a heartbeat from something like this. It's horrible. And it's happening near me.
I got to thinking. What would I do? I don't think of myself as racist, but I have made comments. Generalizations. But what would I do in a case like this? I would have to get a lawyer for sure. It's scary to think about, but very real. The workplace can be a dangerous place for a person's psyche.
And this is an evil, evil floor. There are way too many people here who are resentful, hurtful and just plain mean.
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As you wake in the morning
What do you feel?
Does a rush of happiness
wash over you when,
Suddenly, you realize you are alive?
