MANAGE THESE NUTS!!!

Dear bosses of the past and future, I am not the problem. At least I don't intend to be. I'm all about being a team player (or whatever) when I punch in to work. However, some of us were just wondering how the hell you made it this far.

No, but seriously. I'll be first to admit that I've had to show my ass a time or two or three on the job, but I wouldn't say I'm unprofessional by a longshot. No matter what industry you're in, somebody at work is gonna' blow their lid or go against the grain every now and then. I might even call you a naive person if you tell me you never did.

A lot of jobs try to set this expectation of simply doing what you're told, but unfortunately, that becomes a little tricky when you see people for who they are. A spade is a spade! If you put a hog in The Oval Office, it doesn't mean that a pig is fit to be the damn president. It takes keen individuals to properly distinguish the nuances between titles and true identities.

(The following writing is from pages of my personal journal; Noteworthy incidents penned in August 2021 and February of 2022)

Impostors calling shots?

I never want to believe I'm problematic in the workplace, but I admit, I always have a hard time taking seriously the people who are appointed as authority. Such a struggle has made me evaluate myself as a working man, but I'm happy to say I've been witness to things that have helped clear the smoke.

There are two incidents in particular worth diary documentation, and the first started with a customer whose cigarillos turned out to be damaged. Seeing that the store was to blame, I replaced them without contest—Then my manager had a whole tantrum! Apparently, trades of that sort were not allowed. I understand that rules are rules. However, I also understand that this particular "manager" is a diva and a dork. I knew deep down that he was pouncing for an EXCUSE to scold me in front of an audience.

Eventually, history repeated itself. Another customer ended up with bad tobacco, hoping to "break the rules" and switch it out. A man customer, at that. A big and tall customer. Don't get me wrong; Such details don't matter to me, but they definitely did to my "superior."

When I gave him the honor of laying down the law, the fire he once had was completely gone! He came out of his office and sized the guy up like he was about to wrestle him. The trade wasn't a big deal that day, and most likely never was. Needless to say, his outburst was a choice.

~ ~ ~

As for the second incident? The man in charge approaches me at the front to hand me a credit card, insisting that I cut it up because it was left behind. Apparently that's the proper thing to do when it's not claimed in X amount of days. Like the "rebel" that I am, I refused to do the dirty work.

I couldn't help but notice that he'd come all the way from his office specifically to leave that burden with ME. Couldn't he have done it himself? Just to confirm that it wasn't for lack of proper tools, I went to his workspace to investigate. Lo and behold, there are scissors within arm's reach of his chair!

These two notable events at work made it so obvious to me that my "manager" is someone I'd be a fool to let influence me whatsoever. He expects me to exercise strength that he does not have, and would easily lead me right into a MISDEED.

"Moral of the story: I'll continue to take others for what they are and only that. I must allow my discernment to lead me, and not be taken away by the smoke and mirrors of titles and tantrums," I noted.

Who are YOU to talk?

"It is too common for one to crave the label of leadership or the credit of courage without truly possessing either of the two. My choice is to not condone, comply, nor dignify falsehood of this sort, for it is unfair to those who are TRUE. A supreme's path is seldom traveled, but often claimed. I'll be damned."

"It is the cowards in this world that generate confusion and evil in it. Granted the challenges that they create for others and the poison that they possess, they should not be rewarded with honor in the slightest. The most prestigious rewards and titles must be reserved for whom they fit."

I wrote that to myself as a common cashier, not knowing that it would take just a couple years for me to have to put my money where my mouth is. An employer or two later, I found myself in the position of the "shift manager" and I'd be lying if I told you I didn't have enemies. Those sons of bitches hated me! But that didn't mean anything.

I know all too well how it feels to have bosses that you don't like, but I know even better that I'm a man worth respect without a doubt—ON or OFF the clock. So where did I go wrong? Am I an unfit leader? Am I no better than these other fools?

Give me a fuckin' break! Maybe if I measured myself according to being liked, I would have fallen victim to those weak-minded doubts. My experiences being in charge at work gave me the opportunity to assess "what makes real" versus "what makes fake", and I penned something too sweet to squeeze into one story.

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