Thursday, August 23, 2007

Conservative Co-Worker

I have a co-worker who is incredibly conservative. (Translation: She's born again.) With this in mind, it shouldn't come as a surprise when I inform you that she's easily offended by, shall we say, colloquial language. As much as I try to consider her sensitivities, I sometimes fail, as I did a few minutes ago...

Co-worker brings a laptop to my desk.

"This laptop doesn't work."

"Whose is it," I asked, failing to recognize it on sight?

"It belongs to {so-and-so} in H.R."

"Oh God, it's the one with that special shit on it, isn't it," I asked? I realized that my words would probably be offensive to her, but figured I'd draw less attention to my faux pas by letting it go.

"Would you like to try that one again?" Apparently she was not willing to let it slide.

"No, I'd just say the same thing again and offend you more."

Like I said, I try to take her sensitivity into consideration, but the fact is, I swear like a sailor Marine in my natural habitat. And usually when something slips in her presence, I apologize. But once in a while, every now and then, shouldn't she be the one who's willing to let shit slide?

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