I phoned Mr. W. to thank him again for helping me with my dilemma with D9 (which really wasn't a dilemma... his conditions mirrored my own). He said, "You're welcome."
I should have realized that someone was in his office, because he only speaks one or two words when around someone else...
Anyway, I kept on, "Mr. W., what I'm really trying to say is that I'm totally jazzed at the new you... the one who doesn't say <I don't care> when I ask for input and has something important to point out. I really think you have worked really hard at changing and I want to let you notice that I see it. I like it."
I could feel him blush... and then his answer, "Betsey, thanks for being so positive. I appreciate your noticing. Who would have figured?"
(Note to self: how could I not? The old guy was so damn depressing and sullen...)
And then I saw one of my goals for moving closer happen right before my eyes...
"So-and-so is in my office, so I really can't talk right now. But he's in here to ask me to go on an emergency business trip to DC next Tues and Wed. Would you mind horribly if I left you hanging with the schedule? If so, maybe I can see if there is another way around this trip."
I surprised the hell out of myself (where did that old, snotty Betsey go?) by saying, "Mr. W. a biz trip is a biz trip, and I told you that I supported you in your new job 100%. If you have to go, that's fine. But if you wouldn't mind working on the details right now so I can plan for the rearranging, I would greatly appreciate your help."
He said, "You got it. I'll call you back after lunch."
Meredith, the old me would have said, "Why do I always have to rearrange my schedule for your work crises? What if D fires me some day for being so irratic?" (Knowing full well that D would commit suicide first before firing my ass... and since he just bought 12 boxes of GS cookies, I can say this with absolute conviction.)
And the old Mr. W. would have said, "Well, I have to go. They asked me to (and the implication would be that his job was more important than his family) and I'm going. So you'll deal with it.
What am I going to eat if I don't eat fish?
Just keep swimming!
"There are only 2 ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
