Flibbertigibbet

Let's Talk About: Boundaries

Here is an example of acceptable work conversation:

Flibby: Hello, coworker! How was your weekend?

Coworker: Dude! It was awesome! I watched the football game and we won! Yay!

Flibby: Yay!

Coworker: Yay!

See? Acceptable. Here is a sampling of the sort of conversations I have had with a certain coworker of mine.

Coworker: Hi, Flibby. *sigh*

Flibby: Hi, Coworker! How was your weekend?

Coworker: Well, I got a perforated bowel.

Flibby: Um.

Coworker: Yeah. I've been having trouble in the bathroom. You know, lots of gas and dia --

I'll stop there because I think you can see where that conversation ran afoul of convention. Here's another:

Coworker: Hi, Flibby. *sigh*

Flibby: Hi, Coworker! How was your weekend?

Coworker: Well, I got ready for my colonoscopy.

Imagine my horror.

And we talked about the colonoscopy and the bathroom problems several times. I have a rule that I do not talk about what happens to my butthole at work. Call me puritanical. I don't care. It's a rule.

There's a good chance that all kinds of horrid things will happen to my butthole in the context of receiving medical care, but I vow that my coworkers will not be privy to them.

YOU ALL, readers of my blog, may hear about them, but that's just what you get for coming here. My coworkers, though, are safe... unless they read my blog.